Composting Machine FAQ

Items that come from nature and decompose. Kitchen waste and garden waste are the common examples.

A machine used for the treatment and recycling of organic waste or wet garbage. It is a self-contained system capable of performing micro-organism-based composting in controlled conditions, and the end product is organic fertilizer.

The rule of thumb is that anything a human can consume, raw or cooked, can go into the machine. That includes food waste, fish, fish bones, meat, meat bones, poultry, poultry bones, vegetables, fruits, peels, pasta, rice, bread and pastry, eggshells, manure and yard trimmings.

Yes. There is a hygienization function that heats the unit to a minimum of 70C for 60 minutes, which kills 97.3 to 99.9% of harmful pathogens and bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella. After that the compost is safe to use as fertilizer.

Anything that is not organic, for example plastic, glass and metal products. Putting these items in can lead to machine damage and malfunction. Textiles, wood and coconut shells should also be avoided.

Small bones such as chicken and fish bones can go in. Large swine bones, lamb shank bones and cow bones are not recommended. Because of the inbuilt shredder, bones are broken into small pieces but cannot be fully decomposed.

Only soft shells such as shrimp or prawn shells. Lobster, crab, mussel and clam shells will not break down because of their high calcium level and can damage the machine.

The machines handle a small amount of yard trimmings such as grass and leaves. Plant roots are not recommended because they can wrap around the machine's axis and blades.

Yes. We recommend replenishing the microbes on an annual basis to keep the strength of the culture up.

Once a day, which keeps operation simple and allows a full 24 hours before more waste goes in.

Biological processes are not affected by small quantities. However the material occupies valuable space and should be avoided. It can be removed through observation windows where provided, otherwise it comes out with the compost at the outlet.

TMK composters are designed to handle 20% excess material. Beyond that the output compost will not be fully cured and there is a chance of foul smell.

It can, although a further curing period of two to four weeks is recommended.

It depends on the model. The TMK-500 processes 500 kg of organic waste per day, and the range runs from 1 kg to 5000 kg per day.

No. Digestion is aerobic, with continuous air intake and air outlet, so no methane or ammonia forms from the nitrogen content of the food.

Yes. Because it is concentrated it should be mixed with soil in a proportion of ten parts soil to one part compost before being added to plants.

The machine has to be connected to the supply for 24 hours, but it only consumes power for 8 to 11 hours depending on the humidity content of the waste. The air supply blower and electronic circuit run for 24 hours.

Approximately 10% to 15% of the organic waste input is converted into compost.

Odour is controlled by the deodorization system, which comes as part of the machine.

No. It is fully automatic, so the waste collector simply opens the lid and puts the segregated waste in.

12 months warranty is provided on manufacturing defects only. The TMK-30 and TMK-200 are listed with a 3 year guarantee.

On average compost needs offloading once a week when the machine is used at full capacity.

No. TMK's microbes are only active at high temperatures of 55C or higher and require oxygen to survive, so they do not pose a threat to humans.

Dehydrators often require a sewer hook-up, and their output has the characteristics of dried food waste which is not recommended as a soil amendment. TMK composters need no sewer line because steam is extracted and absorbed by the deodorizers, and the compost is nutrient rich.

Digesters require a water supply and a drain or waste water hook-up, and produce grey water effluent that needs further processing, often with high BOD and FOG content. TMK composters need no water hook-up and produce a nutrient-rich material usable in gardens.

Dry sawdust and bacterial enzyme culture. Dry garden waste can be used as an alternative to sawdust, although a larger quantity may be needed.

Yes. Shredding reduces volume and speeds up biological decomposition by increasing the surface area for bacteria. It also cuts the heat needed for dehydration and gives a finer, better quality compost.

Aerobic composting uses microorganisms that require oxygen, producing heat, water and CO2, and reaching temperatures that kill pathogens. In-vessel aerobic composting takes only 8 to 10 days from start to finish with no leachate. Anaerobic decomposition releases methane, produces strong odours, generates little heat and leaves a digestate that still needs aerobic composting to stabilise.