LOMI: The Home Composter
Because I live in Edmonton, where it’s winter for 6 months of the year, backyard composting usually takes a LONG time. I’m happy that the City of Edmonton now has a green bin system so that our food waste is separated from regular garbage and turned into compost at an industrial composting facility. But then I don’t reap the benefits from it! I typically buy some compost each year to top up garden beds for growing vegetables and herbs, and to feed the soil that my fruit shrubs grow in. I have to buy compost because my backyard compost doesn’t get done every year. I really like the idea of a countertop composting system, but the ones I’ve tried have been messy and stinky.
Then one of my favourite eco-conscious companies, Pela (their first product was biodegradable phone cases) made Lomi. I KNEW I wanted to try it because it sounded amazing, so I got in on the ground level when they were crowdfunding.
Now I’ve been using Lomi for over a year and I am loving it!
Lomi is a countertop plug-in composter that turns your food waste into nutrient dense dirt! You can also put things like compostable packaging and old Pela phone cases into it, and it’ll get broken down to the point that you can toss it into your green bin.
You might be thinking – but if it it needs electricity to run, isn’t that bad for the environment? Not when you take into account how much food waste is reduced. The average Lomi cycle uses 0.7 kWh of energy, which is 1/2 the energy needed to run a dishwasher, or 1/4 of the energy needed to use a dryer. And because it is keeping food waste out of the landfill (where it would emit carbon dioxide), and sequestering that carbon to use in your garden, it’s actually decreasing your overall carbon emissions.
So how does Lomi work?
Lomi uses heat, abrasion, oxygen and helpful bacteria to break down food waste. Each Lomi appliance holds around one cubic foot of organic matter. When you’re ready to process your food waste, close the lid and select one of the three cycles.
In each cycle, Lomi heats the bucket of organic matter while a metal arm turns the compostable materials, crushing larger scraps. Lomi circulates warm air throughout the machine and out of a carbon filter. By heating, aerating and mixing, Lomi is able to speed up the breakdown of your household waste.
– What is Lomi’s Carbon Footprint?
I still do use my backyard composting bins in the spring/summer/fall, especially with all the plant material from my garden. I run my Lomi less often during these seasons because I’ll use my produce scraps in my backyard compost to add green matter when I need it. In the winter though, I primarily use the Lomi and run it every few days once it’s full. I love that it uses charcoal as a natural deodorizer so it is never stinky!
Here are some of the before and after pics of what I put into my Lomi and what the output was!
Lomi has a deal on right now where you can get it for $150 off!!
That’s less than I paid for it (I’m a bit choked, to be honest, but happy that others can share the Lomi love for less!). So yeah – if you’ve been thinking about it but it seemed a bit out of your price range, now’s the time to take advantage of this sweet deal!
Get your Lomi here, and experience the joy of making your own compost!
(Disclosure: I am a member of Lomi’s affiliate program. This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase products via these links, a small percentage of the sale will be given to me at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting juicygreenmom.ca!)
