CLEVELAND – July 31, 2020 – Healthy home cooks who are concerned about maintaining a healthy environment may be surprised to learn that food waste decomposing in landfills is a potent source of greenhouse gases. Backyard composting is one alternative to the landfill, but the process can be challenging for many people, as it requires just the right mixture of green and brown waste. Plus, it can take weeks, if not months, to go from food scraps to compost.
Now, instead of composting, at-home cooks have a convenient way to quickly recycle food waste, help the environment, and keep the kitchen clean and odor-free at the same time. The Vitamix® FoodCycler® FC-50 is a food waste recycler that transforms food scraps into a nutrient-rich soil additive in a matter of hours.
The recycled food compound can be mixed into the garden as a fertilizer. Or, if discarded, it will take up less space, doesn’t smell, and will generate much less methane. The unit reduces food waste volume by as much as 90% so users will be doing their part to diminish landfill waste.
The FoodCycler FC-50 is lightweight, easy-to-use, odorless and compact. It comes with a small food-waste collecting bucket that can be moved around the kitchen – from countertop to sink – when preparing meals. The bucket is dishwasher-safe and comes with a lid, making it easy to keep the cast-iron bucket on your kitchen counter and the FoodCycler unit in a garage, laundry room, or pantry.
To process the food waste, simply place the bucket in the unit and press the power. The FoodCycler FC-50 then quietly agitates the food waste, while also aerating and heating it. The FoodCycler FC-50 unit has a specially formulated carbon filter that eliminates odors and any harmful methane gases, making it ideal for indoor use, such as under the sink or in a mudroom.
“We knew many Vitamix® users were composting, but we were curious about those who were not,” explained Scott Hackman, Vice President, Strategy, Business Insights, Brand and Marketing Operations at Vitamix. “So we conducted an independent study and discovered that there are significant obstacles to composting for many people. We wanted to make a year-round food recycling option available to everyone who is environmentally oriented, including those with limited outdoor space or those living in colder climates. The FoodCycler™ FC-50 is our answer.”
In addition to vegetable and fruit scraps, the FoodCycler FC-50 will also recycle meat, dairy products, pet food and small bones from fish or chicken, so most of the waste from healthy meals can be neatly processed.
The recycled food compound from the FoodCycler FC-50 is an excellent organic soil amendment, a fast-acting fertilizer scientifically proven to be beneficial to optimal vegetable growth. The FC-50 takes between four and eight hours to turn food scraps into a dry, odorless powder that is the soil amendment.
The FoodCycler FC-50, which replaces the Vitamix FC-30, has several improvements over the earlier model, including processing time, filter life and a lid for the bucket.
The FoodCycler FC-50 comes with a gray and black shell and looks good with any décor. It can be used almost anywhere with one cubic foot of space and a power outlet, and it is energy-efficient, using less electricity than a small microwave oven. The FoodCycler FC-50 comes with a three-year warranty and is available at vitamix.com for $399.95. Also available are dissolvable tablets to restore beneficial bacteria and fungi to the food waste compound and replacement filters for the unit and the bucket lid.
For more information, visit vitamix.com.