The original Vermi-Converter first released in 1999
A commercial waste bin system that looks like a waste bin and works like a worm bin!
Fresh lawn clippings reduced in days to usable liquids and solids!
Restaurant food scraps reduced and converted on the spot!
Now organic waste can be reduced and converted to a useful by-product at the place the waste is created.
Thus meeting current government objectives or better.
Even zero organic waste landfill is now possible!
Taking organic waste and converting it automatically into a useful natural fertilizer in one easy step.
Dispose of green waste as before i.e. directly into a waste bin. But from there on the patented design of the Vital Vermi-Converter uses compost worms for the direct conversion of the green waste into a rich organic fertilizer for immediate use. Superb for lawn clippings, from residential, golf courses, parks, rest areas, show grounds, airports etc.
The key feature is that it is all done AUTOMATICALLY with the vermicast solid falling to waiting trays, as the worm body action expels it from the Vermi-Converter. Then via a unique surface tension effect the liquid quite literally runs backwards to the collector tray and is automatically pumped back into the Vermi-Converter at a controlled rate, until it too is ultimately converted to a ready to use liquid fertilizer.
The whole unit is self contained and powered freely by the sun's energy, a sealed battery stores the electrical energy converted from sunlight, to power the sequence timer and the recirculation pump. The sequence timer can be programmed for a variety of spraying duration's and intervals, so as to ensure it can be used in any location, with any type of green waste.
World wide, organisations like New Zealand's Zero Waste and in the USA Sound Resource Management lead with programs for Zero waste. A world full of opportunity now exists to make a business out of providing services and equipment for what is clearly a rapidly growing International market measured in billions of dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
on the original Vermi-Converter System
Q. What can be put in the Vital Vermi-Converter?
A. Basically any organic waste, however the inventor tested a large range of potential organic waste materials over a five year period and found that the following three were probably the most suitable:
Lawn clippings.
Manure.
Cooked and uncooked food scraps.
Shredded paper and cardboard
We recommend that only the above three sources of waste be used until further trials allow us to build a data base of other suitable materials.
Q. Who could use a Vital Vermi-Converter?
A. Anyone with an organic waste material that would otherwise go to costly landfill.
Q. Where can a Vital Vermi-Converter be installed?
A. Basically in any place that a waste dumpster is presently located.
Q. What about predators?
A. The Vital Vermi-Converter is not susceptible to invasion by mice or rats, in any case we have tested a variety of rat poisons that can be placed safely inside the Vital Vermi-Converter with absolutely no threat to the compost worms should the need arise.
Q. What odors and odor controls are needed?
A. There is no more odor from the Vital Vermi-Converter than from a regular waste dumpster, however we recommend a weekly dusting of the top of the waste with handful of Agricultural lime. This in fact is the only extra activity input from humans, because the rest of the system is fully automatic including the expulsion of the finished vermicast by the compost worms and the sequenced misting of the recirculated liquid vermicast powered by solar energy.
Q. What happens if foreign non organic waste such as bottles, plastic or cans are accidentally introduced?
A. There is no harm done to the compost worms, however the performance of the Vital Vermi-Converter is compromised and a service whereby the "door " of the unit at one side must be opened and all material purged, resorted and the Vital Vermi-Converter must be then recommissioned.
Q. How often should the liquid vermicast be pumped out and refilled with water?
A. We recommend a monthly pump out and water replacement. The liquid cast can be pumped with the control override switch moved to position two. The liquid cast can be sold, bottled or used directly on plants and lawns by connecting a standard hose to the quick coupling fitting, like wise the solid cast can be used directly in gardens on plants and vegetables, as a lawn top dressing, a potting mix blended or straight.
Q. How often are the solid cast trays harvested?
A. Because it is the nature of Vermiculture to utilize compost worms to convert organic waste to a useful by product, the same process also reduces the quantity of material by a factor of at least 75%. So in fact if 100 kgs of organic putrescible waste is converted weekly, then only 25 kilos of converted vermicast will fall to the collection trays, there are six trays, each tray can comfortably contain 20 kilos of solid vermicast. So when the trays are full say every two to four weeks they slide out easily for solid cast retrieval.
Q. How many litres can the pump/battery combination pump?
A. The battery capacity is sufficient to exhaust our standard 180 litre recirculation tank a total of six times on one charge, which of course is six times more than needed on pump out day, thus giving more than enough capacity if the previous days have been overcast and not contributing much in the way of solar electrical energy. The pump is rated at 2000 litres per hour.
Q. What options are available on the sequence recirculation controller?
A. The water duration timer can be set for 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and sixty seconds, the interval timer can be set from once every 30 minutes right through to once every three days.
Q. What about safety regarding electricity and water?
A. The electrical power is only 12 volts DC with no safety requirement or danger, the system is protected with an internal fuse in the sequence controller.
Q. Will the unit be usable in locations with high and low temperature ?
A. Let us take high temperature sites first. We recommend positioning the Vital Vermi-Converter in a north south location if possible, although east west is only slightly less favoured. The design has sloped in sides for its normal function, this naturally makes it difficult for the sun to directly impact, in any case only one side is presented at a time. More importantly the side cladding is not directly in contact with mesh screens and the 75 mm air gap becomes an effective insulator, likewise winter low temperatures do not pass across to the mesh area and the bio-mass generates enough temperature to maintain a viable worm operating environment. Ambient temperatures of as low as -10 degrees C and as high as 44 degrees have been tested by the inventor and again by the Vital Earth International with no deleterious effect.
Q. How about short people can they access the hatches?
We also recommend that an earthen step could be used, or a split level location, we can not make the Vital Vermi-Converter lower without compromising on the capacity, so a simple elevated earth bank remains the cheapest and easiest option.
Now is the time to take that next step in an industry set to leap forward, and enjoy a lifestyle business, with solid growth, and a long term future well into the next millennium. Contact us soon if you would like to enter the fascinating industry of Vermicultre.
