An on-site food waste recycling machine is a fantastic way to improve your business’s green credentials, whilst saving you money on your waste collection and disposal bills. A Ridan composter is quick and simple to use, and will provide you with fresh, healthy compost.
Composting is the decomposition of biodegradable organic matter, including cooked and raw food waste. Kitchen waste and plate scrapings can all be composted, as can garden waste such as grass clippings and dead leaves. The key thing to remember is that if it once lived, then it can be composted.
When the conditions in the Ridan composting machine are correct, microscopic organisms respire and breakdown the matter to produce nutrient rich compost that is perfect for your garden!
Successful composting all depends on getting the right proportions of carbon and nitrogen rich materials. Too much carbon can cause the materials to be too dry and not break down. Too much nitrogen tends to make the waste go rotten and smelly.
You can compost all food waste (foods past their sell by date, cuttings, peelings, and plate scrapings) and all garden waste (grass clippings, weeds, cuttings, and horse manure). These green waste products are all nitrogen rich, so you need to balance this out with carbon rich products. Carbon rich products need to be hard, dry and absorbent materials. i.e. shredded paper, wood chips, sawdust, cardboard, dead leaves, and straw (brown waste)
The composting process happens naturally within the Ridan when the balance of green to brown product is correct, a safe bet is half and half which is a safe way to get started, however over time you can adjust this to suit your waste type.
It takes just two to three weeks for waste food to be composted and pass through the Ridan. The resulting compost will be rich, moist and full of nutrients produced by the composting micro-organisms, it is far richer than normal soil and a haven for any plant life. Depending upon what sort of food was recycled it may be ready to spread straight onto the garden, however it is usually better to mature the compost for a few weeks in a bin of some sort, or a Scotty’s Hot Box where it will continue to compost and break down even further.
When compost is ready it needs to be sieved, you can use a lot of things to do this, large piece of chicken wire for example or a garden riddle. By breaking the compost into smaller, finer pieces, it will be easier for your plants to spread their roots and absorb all the lovely nutrients from the compost.
It depends on the amount of food waste your business is producing, however we typically find at least one large food waste composter will be required. Have a look through the table below to understand which Ridan Food Waste Composter will be right for your business.
| Specifications | The Small Ridan | The Medium Ridan | The Large Ridan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Throughput | 80 Litres per week | 200 Litres per week | 400 Litres per week |
| Unit Dimensions (meters) | 2.1L x 1.0W x 1.4H | 2.4L x 1.0W x 1.5H | 2.5L x 1.0W x1.6H |
| Unit Weight (empty) | 50Kg | 60Kg | 70Kg |
| Price of Ridan | £2250 plus vat | £2950 plus vat | £3650 plus vat |
| Maturation Boxes | 1 @ £360 plus vat | 2 @ £360 each plus vat | 3 @ £360 each plus vat |
WRAP advise our government about recycling, they have compiled a paper giving advice about the on-site treatment of food waste, click here to have a look it gives a good selection of options.
