Popular Science - USA (2020 - Winter)

BYSTAN HORACZEK

38 WINTER 2020 / POPSCI.COM

waste watchers

LOW TECH / HIGH TECH

YOU CAN TURN FOOD SCRAPS INTO FERTILIZER IN ALMOST ANY CONTAINER. THESE BINS USE

THEIR OWN METHODS TO ENCOURAGE THE PROCESS, BUT BOTH KEEP BUGS AND STINK AT BAY.

Fancy

Vitamix’s $400 electric

FoodCycler FC-50 re-

duces up to a half-gallon

of refuse by up to 90

percent in as little as

three hours. It heats the

material while a fan pulls

air through the chamber

to dry it all out. A slowly

rotating agitator then

pummels the scraps.

Simple

The $40 OXO Easy-

Clean Compost tub

holds 1.75 gallons of

leftovers—about a

week’s worth. A gasket

seals the lid shut to keep

out vermin and lock in

stink, while a plastic col-

lar stops biodegradable

liner bags from slipping

under the crud.