All about SUPERCOMP

How can I save money on home composting while protecting the environment?

Bio waste are valuable raw materials for their own production of fertilizers. Everyone knows the price of compost in the garden centers. In addition, it will help the public garbage disposal considerable costs of up to EUR 200,-, of saving / single family, because your bio waste no longer need to be collected. Also ask your local authority or municipality, whether You can mount cancel the removal of the organic waste. Partial refund municipalities for the costs or give a bonus from. You also contribute to climate protection and the fine relief, because you protect the environment by road transports. Overall, the composting benefit both households, as well as municipalities and the environment.

 

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What is the floor plate for?

The floor plate protects your surface from contamination, and, due to the smooth surface, makes the removal of the finished compost easier. If you place the composter on a firm surface such as on patios or concrete, a floor plate is certainly recommended. Optionally, if the composter is in the garden, you can set the SUPERCOMP on bricks or forgo firm ground. This, too, is not a problem. Note, however, that the composter must be placed horizontally (pave the area before assembly).

 

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What you should know about us…

The company’s founder and inventor of SUPERCOMP, Reinhard Schmidl, was the municipal office director of a small Austrian town, and was instrumental in many environmental projects of this municipality, for example, at the world’s first energy saving fair, in natural flood retention basin projects – including Eco zone – and finally, also in the introduction of waste separation. The aim was to reduce the expensive and ecologically disadvantageous removal of organic waste as far as possible and to replace it with the composting.

However, although the population had been regularly informed via their town newspaper, in lectures and in compost parties, it always came down to the usual problems with the work of  moving compost piles and the hygiene issue (odor, insects). The idea that there was enough knowledge about the proper way to set up a compost pile could also have been simply classified as “wishful thinking”, since instead of properly preparing and moving the piles, the new waste was simply thrown on top of everything – which led to the then following hygiene problems, malodors and insects.

The need for a new system for home composting was obvious and Schmidl began – for lack of alternatives – with the first development of SUPERCOMP, meant to eliminate these problems. From the basic idea to the present generation of SUPERCOMP, it was a long road with many development steps that often resulted in “dead ends”. But ultimately, the work has paid off, because precisely those problems of composting could be eliminated and dissolved with SUPERCOMP.

Schmidl helps many customers with his knowledge on various issues, even today. As he gained sufficient experience in regard to the composting for municipalities, he prefers to give advice in this sector.

The beginning of SUPERCOMP

Schmidl (here with his wife) at one of the many attempts at a farm in the Graz region in the 90s. Here, the varietal composting of horse manure was tested in experiments. Subsequently, the renowned Institute of Process Engineering of the University of Technology of Graz (Austria) accompanied Schmidl with its own developments, with test series for varietal composting of oranges, cut grass and tomato waste. Composting only one type of material is ranged somewhere between “difficult” and “impossible”. Here, too, functionality, practicability and efficiency could be proved.

 

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The SUPERCOMP Endurance Test: For the 1st time ever, compost could successfully be made from “only” oranges…

The images show a test setup in the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Technical University of Graz. Lime, rock meal and sewage treatment substrate on the order of parts per thousand were added to the 300l of varietal oranges  in the sterile laboratory environment, and after 8 months, the certainly difficult task of converting only oranges to compost was completed – see pictures 1-3.

In a test series done by the Institute of Process Engineering of the University of Technology of Graz in which only oranges were composted in a SUPERCOMP. This test can therefore be considered as difficult, since the decomposition of oranges lasts much longer than other types of waste, and due to their high nitrogen content, other forms of bio waste must also be mixed in to even be able to compost the oranges. Tests had been done where, for example, when composting surplus oranges in Sicily (Italy) by windrow composting, success was only achieved after adding 2/3 of other organic waste to the oranges.

The images show a test setup in the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Technical University of Graz. Lime, rock meal and sewage treatment substrate on the order of parts per thousand were added to the 300l of varietal oranges  in the sterile laboratory environment, and after 8 months, the certainly difficult task of converting only oranges to compost was completed.

“First and foremost, this test is successful because of the vertical ventilation of the composter. This creates the best conditions for the microorganisms. “(Source: Thesis by DI Nestor Manakanatas, Adviser: Univ.Prof. DI Dr. techn. Otto Wolf Bauer, TU Graz)

The successful composting exclusively tomato waste afterwards ran – not surprisingly –  without any problems, as well the composting of only fresh grass clippings.

 

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In a test series that lasted 12 weeks, the Joanneum Research Institute confirms the efficiency and practicality of SUPERCOMP …

The Joanneum Research Institute of the University of Technology of Graz (Austria) led empirical studies on the practicability and efficiency of the individual SUPERCOMP compost systems over a period of 12 weeks and made the following attestation from:

ATTESTATION JOANNEUM RESEARCH, GRAZ – AUSTRIA

JOANNEUM RESEARCH conducted empirical studies for 12 weeks on the practicability and efficiency of the individual SUPERCOMP compost systems.

Significant innovative components in the system are the sliding surfaces which slow the downwards movements, leading to a continuous rotting process with an optimized vertical ventilation. The physical basis for this are the different frictional forces between the mature compost and immature rotting material, which, via the formation of support lines, lead to the stabilizing of the rotting material, thus enabling a continuous process. The selected surfaces and angles of inclination of the sliding surfaces lead to the building of support lines in the rotting material within the first 6 weeks.

Reactor tons, with different material properties and a volume of 300 liters (wooden container) and 350 liters (container made of plastic), were examined. The aim was to develop data for nutrient balance, operational and functional stability, and the quality of the produced mature compost in practical operation. The feeding was conducted continuously with a) organic waste and b) fresh grass clippings.

Reactor ton grass clippings and nuclear ton bio waste

Based on a total performance of 910 liters over a period of 12 weeks and a residual amount of 160 liters, the results are a reduction in volume by approximately 82 percent. The volume reduction did not run constantly, but reached its peak between the 6th and 8th week under the given experimental conditions. Over time, these results reach an average reduction in volume of around 35 percent per week of rotting. Based on the compost weight, the results were a weight reduction of 150kg within 12 weeks of rotting.

 

 

 

Summary

The composting of organic waste by SUPERCOMP with both experimental designs – from only fresh grass clippings and in the second experimental design, including organic waste from the kitchen – resulted in plant-tolerated compost after a rotting duration of 12 weeks, a volume reduction of 80% and a reduction of the organic components of 64%.

 

Note in their own right for grass composting

Based on loosely dumped grass clippings, the volume reduction is even greater: by 50% in the first week, because the material does not only shrink during composting, but also compacts itself with its own weight inside the composter.

 

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I live in a residential area, can I compost here?

Here is a photo. This composter has been in a downtown courtyard since 2008 (between 6 houses with about 130 inhabitants). A neighbor tried to ban the composter officially, but this was denied by the authorities after on-site inspection due to a lack of evidence of the any bad smell. If you want to compost only your own waste and operate the SUPERCOMP yourself, composting in residential areas is not a problem for small gardens.

If a settlement wants to composted together, we definitely recommend the installation be done by a responsible person who should also regularly perform the following actions:

  • Check for contamination of the waste
  • Check for moisture level and compost process
  • Remove the finished compost

 

Experience has shown that composting in settlements with “anonymous” residents oftentimes leads to problems, since many people unfortunately lack the necessary awareness for composting.

 

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I have many neighbors, can I compost at all?

Since the SUPERCOMP is free from unpleasant odors to a large extent, you will not have problems with your neighbors. If at any time smells should arise, then something is wrong with the compost process that is, however, quick and easy to fix. In this case, we can help you here.

 

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Can I compost on my terrace with the SUPERCOMP?

Yes. We have many customers in densely populated areas who easily compost on their own patios using SUPERCOMP. If you want it to be very clean, we recommend the purchase of a drip pan (construction market), since from time to time, some leak water may drip out (only in extreme humidity). Just set your composter up in the pan. If the pan should fill up, simply empty it out.

In any case, you should also the floor plate separately (only with plastic composter; in the wooden composter it is included) and „inoculate“ the SUPERCOMP after installation.

 

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What is the quality of self-produced compost?

The most important aspect of composting is that you even know exactly what is in your compost. This gives you the security that you aren’t damaging your soil with pollutants as you may be doing with industrial compost (find more information about that here).

Compost contains over 1 billion living beings per cubic cm and is sanitized by the work of nature, therefore making more valuable fertilizer which in turn provides your plants with many defense substances (e.g. penicillin) against diseases, fungus and pests. The SUPERCOMP offers the best possible living and reproduction conditions (full ventilation in the inner core piles) to compost creatures, who are responsible for the processing of organic waste, making a fast recovery of nutrient-rich, high-quality compost possible.

Easily add fresh compost to your garden under bushes and trees, sprinkle it on the lawn, and spread it in the vegetable garden.

The compost removed from the storage chamber can be stored and stocked outdoors without deterioration of the soil or the air quality. In addition to its fertilization effect and the pest repellents, compost also serves as a water reservoir and soil improver.

 

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How much fertilizer I can harvest a year, and how much money can I save with the composting?

Compost is not only the best addition for all soils, but also the cheapest, because it is made from your kitchen and garden waste.

In an average garden of up to 500 m2, about 0.5 m3 of compost can be harvested annually. In home gardens, involving hedge clippings and kitchen waste, it is estimated to be about 1m3 more. 1000 kg of compost (about 600 liters) correspond to 60 buckets. Comparatively, 1 bag of organic seed compost (15kg) costs approximately 6.30€ in a garden market (source: Indicative price from international garden center chain). Through self-production, several thousand Euros a year can be saved, respectively. Composting is worth it, and the purchasing costs of a composter amortize very quickly.

 

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How quickly will my various wastes turn into compost?

Depending on the type of waste, the following applies: The finer and softer they are in their nature, the quicker they become compost. Bones or strong branches take longer, but can also be composted. First raw compost can already be removed after 6-8 weeks… with time, the compost becomes even finer.

Basically, it is so that the fertilizer can be removed as needed – or if the SUPERCOMP is full. If you do not need the compost immediately, you can easily store it in the garden. Only due to the complete ventilation of SUPERCOMP in pile core can such a rapid harvest permits. For more information on this topic can be found here. 

 

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What materials are used in the SUPERCOMP plastic composters, and how environmentally friendly are these?

The SUPERCOMP is manufactured in a distance process from food-grade recycled plastic (polypropylene) under addition of lime for extra strengthening. Nevertheless, a certain elasticity remains, which in turn balances the acting forces and diminishes the danger the plastic tearing under extreme weather conditions (hard plastic easily tears in extreme heat). The lateral “”stayers”” are reinforced, and continuous lamellae further strengthen the construction so maximum stability is given. When full, a SUPERCOMP is rock solid, so even strong winds cannot mess with it. Polypropylene is considered the most environmentally friendly plastic and is fully recyclable.

The clips are made of polyamide. The floor plate is made of weather-resistant polypropylene (1.500 grams per square meter) and is 8 mm thick.”

 

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What materials are used in the SUPERCOMP wood composters, and how environmentally friendly are these?

A SUPERCOMP wooden composter is made of local pine thermo wood in the durability class 1-2 (tropical wood quality). The substances in which wood-destroying microorganisms (fungi) can live are withdrawn from the wood in a completely organic, thermal process under controlled heating(where there is no food there is also no fungus).

Inside, the wood is protected by attached hollowed polypropylene wall sheets. Polypropylene is considered the most environmentally friendly plastic, and is fully recyclable. The intelligent hollow chamber system saves valuable raw materials, in contrast to full plastic.

The beneficial properties of heat-treated wood:

  • Increased durability (against fungus and weathering) – also inside the wood
  • Reduced swelling and shrinking mass
  • Increased dimensional stability
  •  Reduction of internal stress of wood
  • Moisture of the wood is reduced, meaning that in the same ambiance, thermo wood has a 70% lower moisture content than untreated wood
  • New colors possibilities, ranging from a warm brown to a smoky black
  • All color changes are consistent and homogeneous across the profile
  • Better thermal insulation properties than untreated wood

 

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Why is SUPERCOMP a worm, a rapid, a lawn and a thermal composter, all in one?

Simple answer: A SUPERCOMP fulfills several conditions simultaneously which in total lead to fast, odorless and optimal composting results – even when composting  also in the composting of single varietal materials, such as “only” lawn clippings.

 

More information about the other applications:

 

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