Choosing a back yard digester for kitchen and pet waste

I’ve used an organic digester in my back yard for over almost two decades. The amount of kitchen waste that I’ve spared from the landfill is staggering, and I never had to empty anything. It’s really quite amazing. I’ve recently moved to a new home and have left my old digester behind for the new owners to use and enjoy.

I’ve used two different backyard organic digester products. The first was the Green Cone, made at the time by Rubbermaid. I bought it at a local Canadian Tire and have not seen it in stores since. You can still buy what looks like the exact same product today on Amazon (Green Cone Solar Food & Pet Waste Digester) but I haven’t seen it anywhere else in North America. I don’t think it’s made by Rubbermaid any longer. I have seen it sold online in the UK but shipping a single unit from there would obviously be cost prohibitive if the company would even ship it here. If you’re in the UK, fill your boots. I’m sure a Google search will provide you with the results you are after.

The other digester I have used is no longer manufactured by the company so that option is off the table. It was made by Busch Systems. This company still makes composters, among many other products, but apparently the digester was not a big seller. Rather than having the dual walls like the Green Cone, this digester was simply a single walled partial cone made of black plastic with a lid on top. It didn’t have the perforated plastic basket on the bottom like the other models I’ve seen and used. The basket does seem unnecessary. Why would you need one? You want microorganisms to mix with the contents so why not give them direct access? You want the nutrient-rich content to seep into the surrounding soil so why put a barrier in the way? The only reason I can see is if you have an issue with rodents or other burrowing creatures getting into your digester. I’ve yet to experience anything like that.

There’s another option at Amazon called Algreen Food and Pet Waste Solar Digester. This product looks a bit more decorative than the Green Cone, and certainly more so than the other Busch Systems product I used. I quite like the look of it but a single picture can only convey so much. This product also has a likely unnecessary plastic basket that goes into the ground.

The number of options you have for different organic digesters to choose from is very limited. I don’t imagine that there is a great deal of difference between them. I would think that the  Other than that, it comes down to what looks better to you,

Color – Darker versions would be better at absorbing sunlight and therefore increasing the temperature within. This should speed up the digestion process.

Appearance – This comes down to personal preference and what suits your yard best. Personally, I prefer the Algreen Food and Pet Waste Solar Digester.

Price – If price is your primary factor, the Green Cone is the less expensive of the models available on Amazon.com.

If you have the details of a different product, please let us know in the details and your experiences with it, by leaving a comment below.