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FoodCycler Pilot Project

FoodCyclers and replacement filters are available for purchase in-person at Town Hall.

To encourage at-home composting and reduce the amount of organic material going to the landfill, the Town of Arnprior is partnering with FoodCycle Science to host a pilot program for Arnprior residents with the FoodCycler countertop composter system.

FoodCycle Science offers a Municipal Pilot Program that is subsidized and supported by Impact Canada through funding received from the Government of Canada. Through this collaboration, the Town has secured a total of three hundred (300) units for purchase by Town residents at a much reduced price.

The basics of the pilot program is:

  • Purchase a FoodCycler unit at a cost of $300.00 (FoodCycler Eco 5)
  • Track the number of cycles over a 12-week period
  • Complete a survey at the end of the 12-week period

How To Purchase

We are currently in the end of Phase II and the Town of Arnprior has under fifty units remaining which can be purchased on a first-come-first-served basis. Foodcyclers may be purchased at Town Hall (Debit, Cash or Cheque accepted).

Benefits of Countertop Composting

Did you know that up to 50% of household waste is composed of food waste and other organic products? Here are some reasons why countertop composting can benefit your family and our environment:

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint:

By helping to reduce food waste going to the municipal landfill, you are supporting our ability to extend the life of our landfill site and reduce your carbon footprint. Reducing organic materials going to the landfill will also help to reduce our impact on the environment through reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Producing Nutrient-Rich Soil:

The FoodCycler transforms your food waste into a rich soil that you can use in your garden and flowerpots. The process reduces food waste by up to ninety percent (90%) depending on the waste placed into the unit in each cycle. The resulting soil is also low in odour and less attractive to wildlife than traditional compost containers. If you do not have a place to use the nutrient-rich soil that your FoodCycler produces, ShareWaste is a community-based network that allows people to donate and/or accept organic waste to gardeners and gardens in the region.

We have recently partnered with a local gardening/ farming group to collect any additional FoodCycler by-product, this product will be added to their large compost pile, to produce nutrient rich compost to use in their fields. There are collection bins are located at the Library. To donate extra by-product:

  • Bring the product to the library or Nick Smith Centre;
  • Empty your container into the bin, within the leaf and yard waste bag (NO PLASTIC BAGS)
  • Return lid to bin; and
  • Repeat as needed for regular collection.

Speeds Up The Compost Process:

The process speeds up the compost process so that food waste can be reduced to soil within hours, instead of months with traditional backyard composting.

Easy To Use, Quiet and Odourless:

The countertop composter is easy to use and maintain with no special training or skills required. The unit is also quiet, compact and odourless during regular operation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The FoodCycler™ is a closed-loop indoor compost alternative that speeds up the natural decomposition process through aerobic digestion of waste. The unit dries and grinds food waste into a dry, odorless nutrient-rich by-product that is significantly reduced in weight and volume from its unprocessed state. The product is free from bacteria, weed seeds, and food-borne pathogens that were eliminated during the process. You can learn more on the FoodCycler website.

The FoodCycler speeds up the compost process through its revolutionary low-sound and low-odour grinding technology. The Vortech™ grinding system pulverizes meat, bones, pits, shells, and other food scraps. Over the course of 4-9 hours, the composter will break down food waste into a nutrient-rich soil amendment.

The FoodCycler works its magic through three stages:

  1. Drying: It heats up to 140 degrees Celsius (284 degrees Fahrenheit), which destroys over 99% of bacteria and reduces food waste volume by up to 90% by removing excess moisture.
  2. Grinding: With its powerful rotary mechanism and blades, it transforms your food waste into small particles, ready for their future use as soil amendment.
  3. Cooling: Finally, it cools the resulting soil amendment product down, making it safe to handle and use.

You can read more about the science behind the FoodCycler unit on their blog.

Each cycle consumes approximately 0.8-1.5 kWh per cycle, which is roughly equivalent to having a desktop computer running for the same amount of time as the cycle. Depending on where you live, each cycle should not cost you more than a couple of cents.

The FoodCycler has built-in sensor technology that monitors the dryness and humidity of the food waste. Once complete, the unit will stop the cycle automatically.

In the FoodCycler®, a typical cycle takes between 4-9 hours for the food waste to become completely dehydrated and processed into the by-product. The time needed depends on the amount of food waste being processed, the density of the food wastes and the moisture levels contained in each. Please note that these estimates exclude the unit's cooling time which lasts less than a half hour on average.

While a full guide is provided with each unit at pick-up, the lists below outline a general rule of thumb with regard to what items can and cannot be processed by the FoodCycler.

Suitable for Use:

The following is a brief list of items that are suitable for the FoodCycler unit:

  • Most fruit and vegetable scraps
  • Meat, shellfish, and poultry scraps
  • Cheese
  • Beans, seeds, and legumes
  • Chicken and fish bones/shells
  • Coffee grounds, filters, and tea bags
  • Eggs and eggshells

Acceptable in small amounts:

The following items may be placed into the FoodCycler unit in small amounts:

  • Sauces, dressings and gravies
  • Dairy products
  • Jams, jellies and puddings
  • Starches (including bread, rice, cake, etc.)
  • Pork and lamb bones
  • Hard pits (including peach, apricot, lychee and mango pits)

Cut Up Prior:

The following items should be cut up into smaller pieces before placing into the FoodCycler unit:

  • Paper towel and hand tissues
  • Corn cobs and husks
  • Whole vegetables
  • Pineapple leaves
  • Fibrous plants (including celery, asparagus, parsley, etc.)

Not Acceptable:

The following items should not be placed into a FoodCycler unit:

  • Cardboard
  • Oils and fats
  • Candy and Gum
  • Beef Bones
  • Most "compostable" plastics

Each household that receives a FoodCycler will be asked to track how many “cycles” they run their FoodCycler through each week of the first twelve (12) weeks of use. For example, if you fill your FoodCycler up with organic waste and run the machine once per day for a week, you will mark down that you ran your unit 7 times. This tracking allows FoodCycle Science and the Town to estimate the total waste diversion achieved over the 12-week pilot program.
At the end of the 12 weeks, participants are asked to fill out an exit survey, providing their review of the program and any other feedback they may have. The survey results are used to evaluate the program's success. Once the pilot is over, the FoodCycler is yours to keep and continue using to reduce your carbon footprint.

FoodCycler co 5
The 5L bucket capacity makes it perfect for families and anyone with lots of food scraps. The FoodCycler Eco 5 can tackle even the toughest of jobs in just hours, transforming your food waste into a nutrient rich soil amendment. And just like the original, the Eco 5 fits seamlessly into your daily routine taking 6 to 8 hours and using only 1.3 kWh of electricity.
This unit is available at a subsidized price of $300.00 plus HST (originally $800 plus HST) for Town residents.
  • Bucket Capacity: 5L
  • Unit Volume: 28.9L
  • Dimensions (IN"): (H) 13.8 x (W) 13.8 x (D) 10.3
  • Progress Indicators: Progress Tracking LEDS
  • Processing Time: 6-8 Hours
  • Power Consumption: 1.5kWh per cycle
  • Filtration: 1 Reusable Filter (Replacement filters are available at Town Hall for $12.50)
  • Vent Location: Top
  • Transmission Torque: 24 ft lbs
  • Household Size: 3+

Questions about the FoodCycler pilot program can be directed to the Town's Environmental Engineering Officer.

By Mail:

Town of Arnprior

105 Elgin Street West

Arnprior, ON K7S 0A8

By Phone:

(613) 623-4231 ext. 1832

By Email:

Click Here to Send An Email

Contact Us

City Hall
123 Conestoga Drive
Glasgow G1 5QH

111-222-3333
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