7 March 2024
By: Lebogang Mashala
To address growing calls for proper disposal of food and organic waste, BiobiN South Africa has unveiled its latest innovation – the mini BiobiN. The 1m³ portable unit can handle up to 800 kg of waste.
Each year, 12,6 million tonnes of food waste is produced and nearly 40% is sent to landfills. As a result, various industries are considering composting technology as a more environmentally friendly solution for organic waste.
According to BiobiN South Africa’s Brian Küsel, the mini BiobiN is designed for smaller commercial organic waste generators and businesses with space restrictions. Küsel highlighted the unit’s versatility, thanks to its wheeled design. “All the client needs to do is wheel it into place and plug it in,” he says.
“It includes all the features that our standard in-vessel composting units have, including a built-in condenser to control moisture content and a built in biofilter to circulate air and speed up the composting process. The unit does not produce any odours, which is a common worry for clients considering on-site composting.”
The unit is aimed at food outlets, supermarkets, delis, hotels, animal and wildlife facilities, schools, hospitals and offices. Küsel says it produces top-quality compost that can be used on-site or in the nearest garden. He emphasises the importance of being proactive in diverting waste, as increasing landfill gate fees and waste levies make it a cost-effective decision for businesses.
“If the compost from our unit is not used on-site, we often encourage our clients to donate their generated compost to local community food gardens or school planting initiatives.”
He says businesses that produce small amounts of food and organic waste should consider this option. The unit can be placed as a centralised organic waste dropoff point where multiple businesses can use it.
“Our larger BiobiNs have been utilised in this way in office parks and the new mini mobile unit has even a greater potential as it can be wheeled around, making it easier to access,” he added.
The mini BiobiN is available for rental, and the cost includes regular site visits by trained operators, management of the unit, waste reporting and maintenance.
