Inventor to Reduce Methane Gas with Compost Machine

Russ Cohn wanted to do his part in reducing landfill deposits through compact composting. The scientist/inventor created an automated compost machine, which he said gives consumers an "easy way to make a difference in the fight against global warming while at the same time feeding their gardens."

NatureMill's Russ Cohn with compost machine

The compost machine is about the size of a large kitchen waste bucket.

Cohn is the inventor of NatureMill, a fully automated composter and announced the product's re-launch on 18 September 2006. Cohn said that methane gas --an environmentally devastating byproduct of landfills-- contributes as much or more to global warming than automobile emissions, due to its chemistry and interaction in the upper levels of the atmosphere.

More than half of landfill waste, and the methane gas it generates, comes from food and paper scraps that could easily be composted and put to healthy, sustainable use, he said.

"It's great to buy a hybrid car, but without composting you might as well have an invisible SUV running around your kitchen," said Cohn from San Francisco, CA.

"Most people don't yet realize the staggering impact of kitchen waste on greenhouse emissions, or how simple it is to divert so much landfill fodder to healthy and sustainable use. My goal is to make it easy, fast and painless for people to do this."

Consumers in the United States, in particular, produce the majority of the world's waste products. "Composting is the most efficient, natural form of recycling there is, but we impede the process with poor waste management," Cohn said.

"NatureMill makes it easy to turn trash into tulips. We get e-mail from customers all over the world saying they're delighted with the results in their gardens."

The NatureMill NM5125 features built-in technology for enhanced drying, mixing and breakdown of contents. Among the new updates are a power dry feature that turns out drier compost that is garden-ready immediately, a more powerful mixing and grinding process -- which means food and paper waste are broken down more effectively, and a jam-prevention sensor to automatically clear jams without human intervention.

Compost is high in nutrients for plants and is highly absorbent. Compost can be used to mix with soil or added as a top dressing (mulch,) which in turn holds soil moisture levels stable.

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