Understanding why water is produced in a composter is key.
Microorganisms produce their own enzymes to break down organic matter,
obtain energy, and multiply.
The composter uses the activities of microorganisms to decompose food waste.
It breaks down food waste generated in our daily lives without using any other energy such as electricity.
Garbage-in does not contain any special microorganisms, but among the microorganisms
that happen to be near the composter or attached to the food waste,
those that prefer the composter's environment will naturally multiply.
We want you to be able to comfortably dispose
food waste generated at home.
Although you cannot control the microorganisms themselves, we think that
if you can improve the environment of your composter and use it comfortably,
it can become a useful tool.
The majority of the microorganisms in the composter use oxygen to live,
and they live while attached to the food waste.
In order to have the "aerobic microorganisms" that need oxygen dominate in the composter,
it is necessary to deliver fresh air around food waste to help microorganisms activities.
The base material of composter (bamboo powder in Garbage-in) creates gaps around
each piece of food waste, which serve to ensure that air, not water, can get in.
The microorganisms use the water from food waste,
but also create new water.
The moisture content of food waste is 80% on average.
Food waste such as tea leaves, vegetable and fruit peels, etc. contain a lot of water.
This water is then used by the microorganisms to absorb nutrients and oxygen.
Water is used for decomposition, but in the same process,
other water is also produced and discharged.
At the same time, heat is released, making it easy for water to evaporate.
The optimum moisture content of composter is 40-60%.
The humidity of composter tends to be high, but the cover of Garbage-in is
breathable and allows water vapor to escape.
As mentioned earlier, it is preferable for “aerobic microorganisms” to dominate
in a composter. If too much moisture accumulates, “anaerobic microorganisms”
that do not require oxygen will become more numerous,
and the food waste will tend to rot rather than decompose.
Although we wrote about the "optimum moisture content," there is no need to finely adjust the moisture with Garbage-in.
In most cases, it will naturally escape to the outside where the humidity is low.
In exceptional cases, water may accumulate inside the container. Particularly when the humidity outside is high due to rain or snow for a long time,
the water vapor produced by decomposition cannot escape,
and turns into water and accumulates at the bottom of the case.
This water is different from the murky, smelly water that seeps out
when food waste is sealed in a plastic bag.
It is clear and has no odor, but if you notice it, throw it away.
The progress of decomposition depends on the temperature and the amount of food waste,
but as long as you do not pack the food waste in too tightly or add a large amount of liquid,
the bamboo powder will not become sticky.
If the bamboo powder is in poor condition, reduce the amount of waste and keep an eye on it.
Conversely, if there is too little food waste, some of the food waste will dry out and remain.
