The Green Cone Compost Bin

Green Cone Composter Takes All Household Food Waste and is an innovative food waste disposal unit that is incredibly simple to use.

So What Exactly is the Green Cone Composter?

The Green Cone Composter is comprised of a lower basket installed below the ground, which forms the base for an above ground double-walled solar chamber with an access lid. The  stands 26 inches above ground level and extends 18 inches below ground level. Access is through an 8-inch diameter hole in the top of the solar chamber, which is sealed by a hinged lid with a security catch.

The design of the Green Cone Composter uses solar heating in the double-walled chamber to facilitate and accelerate the aerobic decomposition process within the digestion basket. Therefore, the system should be installed to obtain the maximum sunlight in your backyard. The Green Cone Composter will digest approximately 5kg of food waste a week, which is over 25% greater than that produced by the average household. The food waste is converted into water, carbon dioxide and a small amount residue, without the need for mixing or turning the waste. In a well operating system the residue will occupy the bottom 10 inches of the digestion basket after the decomposition of about a ton of food waste. Thus, after about five years this small quantity of residue must be removed and dug into the garden sub-soil.

Returning Natural Products to Their Source:

The patented design of the unit utilizes a solar heating effect between the inner and outer cones to promote air circulation, which facilitates the growth of beneficial micro-organisms and the desirable aerobic digestion process. The household food waste is converted into water, carbon dioxide and a small amount of residue.

Because over 90% of the waste material in the Green Cone Composter is absorbed safely as water by the soil, it only needs to be cleaned once every few years when treated with care. Once The Composter is properly installed, it will soon become an invaluable household tool that you’ll use every day.

Dealing with Household Waste:

The Green Cone Composter is an integral part of dealing with your household waste. It eliminates your cooked and uncooked kitchen food waste, including meat, fish, bones, dairy products, vegetables, fruit, peelings, etc.. Virtually the only exceptions are bulk amounts of food related materials that require a very long time to breakdown, namely: cooking oil/fat and the hard shells of nuts and seafood, such as oysters and crabs. Other household waste (i.e. non-kitchen waste) must not be put into the Green Cone Composter, but disposed of in methods approved by local community guidelines.

What’s Good and Not So Good for the Green Cone Composter?

Temperatures in the solar chamber of the Green Cone Composter reach up to 50°C for long periods during summer months. Because of these ideal conditions, indigenous microorganisms grow while harmful pathogens die, through competition for nutrients. Food waste should be transferred as soon as practical from the kitchen to the Green Cone Composter, which allows food waste to be removed daily. Once deposited in the below ground digestion basket, there is no possibility for unintentional access to the food waste by human activity. As with any gardening activity, particularly those involving soil or compost, gloves should be worn when removing the small amount of residue that accumulates in the digestion basket after several years of operation.

** Due to the effectiveness of the Green Cone Composter in controlling decomposition process, and the inaccessibility to animals, birds and humans, the overall health, safety and environmental risk of using the Green Cone Composter is virtually nonexistent. However, we still recommend locating your composter away from any food gardening area if you choose to add animal waste to it. Make sure not to include any litter (clay or other). If you are digesting animal waste products, we also recommend locating the Green Cone Composter at least 100′ from any well/water source.

Maintenance:

Your Green Cone Composter needs very little maintenance. However, it is important to ensure that the top of the basket and the bottom lip of the outer Green Cone Composter are below ground level and always fully covered with soil. In a well operating Green Cone Composter, very little waste residue will be produced. Should the residue build up to ground level and not decrease, the cones can be removed to access the basket. The harmless residue can then be buried into any suitable area of the ground.

Installation:

• Choose a sunny spot in the garden — the sunnier the better.
• The Green Cone Composter converts food waste primarily into water and carbon dioxide. The water produced must be able to drain freely away, otherwise the composter will become anaerobic (without oxygen) and will cease to work. It is therefore crucial to install your Green Cone Composter in an area of good drainage. Under no circumstances should the base of the basket be below the water table or where water gathers. If you believe your soil drains well, dig a hole 32″ wide and 24″ deep. Then pour a bucket of water into the hole. If the water disappears in less than 5 minutes, you have good drainage. If the water remains for more than 15 minutes, you have poor drainage or if you live in an area of heavy clay or chalk where drainage isn’t as good, you will need to dig a hole 36″ wide and 28″ deep.Mix some of the soil from the hole with gravel and/or compost for backfilling later. In areas of heavy clay or chalk, include gravel, small stones, small pieces of broken terracotta pots, or small pieces of broken bricks in the mixture to aid drainage.Place the mixture in the base of the hole so that the base of the basket is 1″ below ground level at the base of the hole.
• Place the assembled Green Cone Composter in the hole. Ensure the top of the black basket and the bottom lip of the green outer cone are below ground level.
• Backfill the gap around the Green Cone Composter with the mixture until the bottom lip of the composter is fully covered.
• Your Green Cone Composter is now ready for years of productive use. Be sure to periodically check your soil level, which may drop with heavy rain. To check, make sure that the bottom lip of the green outer cone is fully covered, adding backfill as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is the Green Cone Composter System easy to use? Yes, very. In your kitchen, fill the Green Cone Composter Pail/Collector or other transport bucket with all your organic kitchen waste. When convenient, empty the compost pail/collector into the Green Cone Composter in your garden.
Can I use chemical activators as well? No. Chemicals can kill or disrupt the bacteria breaking down the food waste. The only booster/activator that is recommended for use is an all-natural compost booster/accelerator available through many garden product retailers.
Where should I install the Green Cone Composter? The ideal location for the Green Cone Composter is a sunny, close-at-hand spot like a flowerbed or vegetable garden (see notes about placement below if you are adding animal waste to your Green Cone Composter). For best results, avoid cold, dark, wet places in the yard.
Can my Green Cone Composter stop working? It’s easy to have a well-functioning Green Cone Composter. However, some problems may occur if:

• The Green Cone Composter is installed in a very dark, shady area.
• The surrounding soil isn’t well-drained, or if the soil contains heavy clay or chalk.
• The black basket is below the water table or in an area where water collects.

In these circumstances, the Green Cone Composter’s digestion process could turn anaerobic (without oxygen). You can tell that by examining the food waste. If it looks wet and slimy, the Green Cone Composter should be reinstalled.

In periods of very cold weather the digestion process may slow down due to lack of natural bacteria. This would be evident by the level of waste in the basket not decreasing. Under these circumstances, the addition of the natural Green Cone Composter Compost Accelerator (a 4 oz. Packet of Green Cone Compost Accelerator and a Shaker Jar are included with your Green Cone purchase)should restore the bacteria population and restart the digestion process.

Can I use my Green Cone Composter to dispose of animal excrement? Yes, in moderation. When it is time to empty the Cone, take care to wear gloves and make sure you wash your hands. DIGESTED ANIMAL WASTE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE USED IN YOUR EDIBLE GARDEN
Can I put garden waste in my Green Cone Composter? It is better not to. A traditional compost bin or heap is better at handling garden waste such as grass cuttings.
How much food waste can I put in my Green Cone Composter? Provided it has been correctly installed, 1-1/2 to 2 pounds (roughly one gallon) of food waste can be placed in your Green Cone Composter every day. This amount is typical of that produced by a family of four. The precise quantity of waste digested by your Green Cone Composter each day will depend upon the ambient temperature, the population of bacteria and the mix of food waste you produce.
Why is there a bar across the top of the Green Cone Composter? The bar across the mouth of the Green Cone Composter provides some rigidity in storage and transit. Its purpose is to prevent small children climbing into the composter. However, turning the twist-lock on the lid and serves the same purpose. The bar may safely be removed (carefully using a hacksaw) to allow large scraps to be put more easily into the composter. However, if you alter (i.e. remove the safety bar) the Green Cone Composter in any way, even if it is brand new and unused, it is not returnable under any circumstances.
Will the Green Cone Composter attract flies? The Green Cone Composter is a sealed unit and when properly installed, emits no odours. It does not, therefore, attract flies. However, the eggs of fruit flies are already in the skins of many fruits and can hatch out in the composter. Similarly, if food or food waste is not kept covered prior to going into the composter, its possible for a housefly to lay eggs before the food reaches the composter. These would also produce maggots and flies. Good housekeeping is therefore important. Some people will freeze food scraps before depositing them into the composter. This may significantly reduce the possibility of flies–should they occur at all.
Will the Green Cone Composter attract critters? If correctly installed, your Green Cone Composter will not attract critters. Ensure that the top of the black basket and the bottom lip of the green outer cone are below ground level to will harmlessly filter out any odours into the surrounding soil. It is also important not to spill food near the composter. If you suffer from rats in your yard, you could be unlucky with a rat running across the composter. If you think there is a chance of this happening you should put chicken wire around the black basket to prevent a rat or other critter from gnawing its way through into the waste.
Does the Green Cone Composter produce methane? Not really. Because of the amount of oxygen inside your Green Cone Composter, the decomposing food will produce very little methane.
Do I have to turn or mix the contents in my Green Cone Composter? No, just put all your food waste into the Cone and forget it. Your Green Cone Composter does all the hard work for you.
When and how often should I empty my Composter? In a well operating Green Cone Composter, the waste residue will only need to be removed every few years and certainly no more than once a year. It requires emptying when the residue builds up to about 4″ below ground level and shows no signs of reducing.
Will my Composter work all year round? Yes. Your Green Cone Composter works 365 days a year. The level of food waste may rise during winter but should drop down when the weather gets warmer. If decomposition slows during very cold periods, use an all-natural compost activater/accelerator (a 4 oz. Packet of Green Cone Compost Accelerator and a Shaker Jar are included with your Green Cone purchase) to boost microbial activity.