Question 1

What can I add to the Ecobot?

Accepted Answer

• Vegetable and fruit peels
 • Meat, poultry & fish waste
 • Leftover food including bakery items and eggshells.
 • Animal manure
 • Tissue and compostable plates
 • Flowers and plants, leaves, and garden waste.

Question 2

What shouldn’t be processed?

Accepted Answer

• Plastic, glass, and metals
 • Hard bones
 • Coconut shells and branches
 • Paper products
 • Fat and oils, or food very high in fats and oils.

Question 3

How much waste can I process?

Accepted Answer

• Units are available in a range of sizes from 10 kg/d thru to 1000 kg/d.

Question 4

How long does the process take?

Accepted Answer

• A soil amendment is typically generated in 15-24 hours.

Question 5

What is the product?

Accepted Answer

• A fine, dark brown compost-like material that can be used as a soil supplement.
 • Crumbly, loose, humus-like material
 • Earthy smell, almost odourless
 • No recognisable material.

Question 6

What can I use the product for?

Accepted Answer

• The Ecobot produces a rich soil supplement with high water retention capacity. It should be mixed with soil in 1:10 ratio for direct use in gardens or further enhanced through the addition of fertiliser and another component for use in local gardens and nurseries.

Question 7

Do I need to have green waste or other woody materials?

Accepted Answer

• No, indeed, woody branches and similar materials should be avoided.

Question 8

How does the Ecobot differ from food waste dehydrators that also claim to convert food waste
to a product (“compost”) in 24-hours?

Accepted Answer

• ECOBOT works on a similar concept. However, due to the inbuilt shredder and design, it is significantly more power efficient than products from other companies. Ecobot also utilises a bacteria culture within the machine which continues to feed on the material even after it is unloaded and added to soil. It is important to recognise that the product is a soil amendment and not a full compost.

Question 9

What is the power consumption?

Accepted Answer

• Power consumption is variable and dependent on the moisture and fat content of the waste. Typically, food waste consumes between 0.25-0.40 kWh per batch (each 24-hours) of waste added. The moisture sensor in the machines automatically puts the unit in power saver mode once the material has achieved the set moisture value.
 •  A 25 kg/d machine will use approximately $1.12 to $1.80 of electricity per batch @ 18c/kWh.

Question 10

Do I need 3-phase power?

Accepted Answer

• Yes

Question 11

I’m a remote site and generate electricity using a generator, which is normally switched off
overnight. Will an Ecobot work for me?

Accepted Answer

• Yes, Ecobots have been installed in multiple locations where this is the case, including industrial locations and mines. However, the batches will take longer to process and overall consume more power as the machine will cool down overnight and will restart in the morning.

Question 12

We only have functions at weekends or sometimes mid-week. Can I use the Ecobot to process
my waste on the day of events and then turn it off when I don’t have an event happening?

Accepted Answer

• Yes, the machine can be operated intermittently. However, since the machine stays in Power Save Mode upon process completion, it does not need to be switched off. It can remain in Power Save mode till the next batch is ready to be fed.

Question 13

What ambient conditions (maximum and minimum temperature) can the unit operate in?

Accepted Answer

• The standard ambient range is 4 – 50oC.

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