The only thing that these products do is to reduce the volume of garbage a household generates by heating and churning food scraps, thus reducing the amount of garbage bags you use. This heating and churning converts food items like banana peels and leftover delivery food into burnt chopped up food. Have you ever forgotten something in the oven and cooked it for 3-4 hours until it was dry and crumbly? Well, that’s your $1000 “smart bin.” Unlike real compost which is rich in nutrients and can be used to feed plants and takes months to decompose, whatever these bins make isn’t really compost. It can be pitched outside but be careful not to put too much in the same spot cause it will probably kill your plants.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of these items is the marketing. The companies have successfully marketed a very expensive, borderline useless product into a feel good, crunchy granola at home product for anyone worried about the environment. My favorite part is that a few years ago when the products were released they were marketed as “countertop composters” like the Lomi. Obviously they were sued for false advertising since their websites now market them as “countertop recyclers”. They just make garbage smaller, sort of.

You can easily accomplish the same environmental impact by using less plastic garbage bags in the most obvious way–be thoughtful of what you’re buying and throwing away. For example, when you’re buying meat, fish and vegetables opt for items packaged in paper vs packaged in plastic bags and plastic packs. Do you really need to put all your vegetables in individual plastic bags? When you’re throwing food scraps away consider things that will rot and smell more quickly than others like meat and fish. These things can be put in the freezer in a reusable bag until garbage day or until it’s full. Other things like vegetable scraps and peelings or leftover foods that don’t smell like rice, noodles, etc. can sit in your can for 2-3 days without causing odor.

Or spend $1000 on a Mill Smart “Recycler” so you can pat yourself on the back for greenwashing your house.