Our Process
1. Step #1 involves repurposing an old dumpster bin and refurbishing it as the casing on our product. This not only reduces waste that contributes to landfills and greenhouse gas emissions, but it also makes our product inconspicuous to people walking by. The dumpster will act as an urban camouflage, and will prevent people from tampering with the unit. The lid will also be fastened shut so that people and pests alike will not be able to mess with the unit.
2. Step #2 involves the shredding of the compost. We will be using JWC Environmental(R) industrial-sized shredders to break the compost materials into fine shavings. The shredder has the capacity to shred conventional materials like fruit and vegetables, but it can also shred paper, cardboard, and even bone. We shred the food to increase the surface area of the compost. This results in a faster composting process.
3. Step #3 of our unit is the tumbling process. Using a large drum that will contain the compost, we will rotate the material inside. We utilize aerobic composting during the rotation process. The rotation process also decreases composting time, because it allows more oxygen to permeate thorough the compost.
4. While steps #2 and #3 are in progress, heat will be applied to the contents in the drum. Only some heat will be required, because compost naturally produces heat during decomposition. Heat will be added using a heating component that can be found under the rotating drum of our unit.
5. During the decomposition of the organic material, emissions will be produced. These emissions contain a small amount of carbon dioxide and produce a strong odor. The exhaust system component of our design contains a strong impeller that pushes air through a biofilter and water collection device. This will only allow oxygen and carbon dioxide to be emitted without an odor. The quantity of carbon dioxide emitted is insignificant compared to the volume of methane emissions that will be prevented by this device.
**Images sourced with permission of owner
6. Solar panels power our device, so it does not use harmful fossil fuels during its operation. As the panels collect sun, they will produce energy and be stored in the battery. Our unit is also controlled via a Bluetooth app, allowing it to be easy to use and accessible for a consumer.
