Living Bins

How they work

The bins operate through a natural and symbiotic process involving microorganisms and earthworms, which are nature’s own recycling experts. We haven’t invented this process; rather, we have packaged it into an attractive, user-friendly, and weather-resistant solution.

Your role is to provide these microorganisms and earthworms with food scraps, treating them as exceptionally low-maintenance pets. You can go up to six months without feeding them, and they will still thrive. Their care requirements are minimal. Within the system, the earthworms and bacteria diligently break down your food scraps, transforming them into nutrient-rich compost known as vermi-compost. On average, the food waste takes approximately 45 days to complete its journey through the system.

This process is 100% natural, 100% safe, 100% organic and 100% the way we should be doing things. The key to a sustainable future is sustainable practices.

VermiCompost Benefits

VermiCompost, also known as Vermicast, worm castings, worm humus, worm poop, or worm manure, is the valuable product generated by the Living Bin.

This organic fertilizer and soil conditioner, VermiCompost, is rich in water-soluble nutrients that plants can readily absorb. When used as an organic fertilizer, worm castings provide numerous benefits. Earthworms grind and blend minerals into simple forms, facilitating easy access for plants. Moreover, the worms’ digestive systems create an environment conducive to the growth of specific microbial species, fostering a “living” soil environment for plants.

Benefits:

Enhances soil aeration.
Enriches soil with micro-organisms, including enzymes like phosphatase and cellulase.
Microbial activity in worm castings surpasses that in the soil and organic matter consumed by the worms, typically by a factor of 10 to 20.
Attracts deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soil.
Improves water retention capacity.

Plant Growth:

Promotes germination, plant growth, and crop yield.
Facilitates root and plant development.
Enriches soil organisms by introducing plant hormones such as auxins and gibberellic acid.

Frequently asked questions

What types of foods can I put in here?

Absolutely:

All veggies and fruit scraps. Coked or uncooked. Paper waste, napkins, pizza boxes (tear them up). Breads and pastas in small amounts. (don’t chuck a whole loaf in – lets be reasonable)

Egg shells, tea bags, coffee grounds.

Be careful:

Cooked meat and bird-bones i.e chicken. Very small pieces of cooked meat can go in there. Many will say to avoid this, but it’s 100% okay, provided you aren’t chucking in half a cow or a whole chicken.

Harder waste like corn cobs, nut shells, avocado pips can go in, but they take a long time to break down. How you can increase the breakdown time is by chopping up the food waste before it goes in there.

No:

Raw meat, animal bones, dairy, oil

It’s important to note that throwing in whole foods will take longer to breakdown. It’s always a good idea to chop up your food waste into smaller pieces.

What actually happens to the food-scraps?

The micro-organisms and earthworms eat the food scraps. They then poop. What they poop is what we want. That is the VermiCompost. It’s black gold for plants.

Will I have to get my hands dirty or touch any icky stuff?
Nope. You remove the VermiCompost via the draw and throw it in your garden. No need to get your hands dirty.

Will there be any strange smells from this?
Nope. Food waste acts differently in this bin. It doesn’t rot. It decomposes into soil.

Is this safe? Natural?
This process is 100% natural, 100% safe, 100% organic and 100% the way we should be doing things.

Should I put the bin indoors or outdoors?
You can put it either indoors or outdoors. It’s very well insulated so the bin can handle weather conditions, ranging from 0 – 35 degrees celcius.

Do I need to buy things on a monthly basis for this system?
Nope. Earthworms are self sustaining. Provided you feed the worms they will remain alive and multiply and continuously feed on your food.

Will the system survive if I go away?
Absolutely yes. Once the system is established, you can leave the system for up to 6 months and it will survive.

Do I need to water this?
The system has been designed that when you water the plants, it waters the system.

How much food can I put in here:
The bin can handle a capacity if 2.5kg of food per week.

Is this the same as composting?
Not really. Classic composting uses only microorganisms. This uses earthworms and the product you get from the systems in vermi-compost. Which is not the same as compost.

Is this the same as the bokashi method?
No. the Bokashi method uses an anerobic method.

Will it attract insects?
The system has been designed that no insects can get into it. But often fruit flies have laid their eggs on your food waste prior to you throwing it away.

Can I put liquids in here?
No. Pour those down the drain.

What plants can I plant in the bin?
Any plants you want.

How to get one

Just let us know you want one and we’ll have our people contact your people.

Be part

of the

solution

not part of the problem