- What is EVA made of?
Eva is made of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP). This is the material used for making boats and airplanes. It’s light-weight, strong and durable. It withstands extreme temperatures and does not catch rust. The exterior surface is painted with automobile paints (the kind used for painting cars and bikes) which is long-lasting. That means you don’t have to repaint the composter frequently. For all these reasons, FRP is our preferred material for making composters.
2. Why does EVA have two containers?
There are mainly three reasons:
Aesthetics: To prevent leaks and stains on the surface which can be annoying to some wannabe composting enthusiasts. These leaks also attract insects like house flies and fruit flies. This is about aesthetics.
Heat retention: The outer container acts as an insulator and helps maintain the heat generated during composting for a longer period. This results in faster composting.
Protection from rain: Raindrops, even if they enter through the holes in the outer shell, slide down to the bottom and get collected in the compost tea (leachate) tank. The inner shell remains unharmed by the rain.
3. Why is EVA costlier than some other composters in the market?
EVA is made of FRP which is a costly material. Please refer to #1 for more details. For this reason, any FRP product is costlier than regular plastic composters.
Not just one, it has two containers. That means almost double the manufacturing cost.
4. Can the containers be used separately?
No. One EVA unit is made of one inner container, one out container and a lid. All these parts constitute one EVA composter. You need this entire unit to process the waste and produce compost efficiently.
5. Can I process two batches of compost using inner and outer containers separately?
Sorry, no. EVA is not designed that way. Please refer to #3 for more info.
6. How to assemble EVA?
Eva comes assembled except for the tap. Once you fix the tap, spread the filter cloth at the bottom of the inner container and get started as shown in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDbZB2-55j8.
7. Can we stack up one EVA over another?
Sorry, you can’t. It is not designed that way. When each batch is processed in a separate container, then you will face far fewer hassles. There will not be any leachate leak from the top container to bottom ones. That also means fewer maggots which multiply especially when there is high moisture and low temperature.
8. I am sick of overflowing maggots. I have stopped composting because my spouse/children/in-laws could not bear the sight of my composter overflowing with maggots. How does Eva perform in this aspect?
Maggots are an essential part of the composting ecosystem. They are the major physical decomposers in aerobic composting. However, no one likes to see them in excess. Maggots do not usually survive in high temperatures. The excellent heat generated in Eva with the help of Excelerator Compost Culture does not allow maggots to proliferate in huge numbers. You may get to see a few maggots at the bottom once in a while. But when you follow the procedure as prescribed by us, you will not have any issue with excess maggots while using EVA composter.
9. What about bad odour?
Bad odour is caused mainly by lack of sufficient aeration. The organic acids produced during the composting process should be driven out by air. Eva has enough aeration vents in both containers and also on the lid-holder. This helps excess moisture evaporate when the pile heats up or simply dries up. Make sure you place EVA in a well-aerated spot to tackle this issue. Second, you will face bad odour if you go wrong with the carbon-nitrogen ratio. Please make sure you add one part of carbon (cocopeat) to three parts of nitrogen (finely chopped kitchen waste) and cover the top layer with some more cocopeat or dry leaves.
10. How to deal with leachate leaks in EVA?
You are unlikely to encounter this problem because Eva has a compost tea/leachate tank at the bottom of the outer shell. Please spread the filter cloth supplied with the kit at the bottom of the inner container and start the process as shown in this video. The excess moisture will seep down a few days after you start the batch. You can drain it out through the tap. Please note that due to high temperature inside the composter, most of the moisture evaporates through the vents. You will find both containers clean and without any stains.
11. How do I deal with excess moisture retention?
The compost tea/leachate separation tank lets the excess moisture seep down efficiently. This is one of the best features of EVA. Once the batch is started, it will take a few days (sometimes more) for the compost tea to drip down. Keep draining it out every few days to make sure it does not get stagnated in the composter.
In EVA, temperature goes up instantly when the inputs are mixed with Excelerator Compost Culture. Its double containers retain the heat for longer periods.
12. How long does it take for EVA to fill up?
That’s a bit difficult to guess as it depends on the size of the particle, the amount of Excelerator used and the quantity generated on a daily basis. The inner container is of 45-litre capacity. Approximately 25 kg. If filled at once, it will take 25 kg (kitchen waste + cocopeat). If layered every day, then may take a few kgs more. Please chop the waste into smaller pieces for higher intake and faster processing.
13. How many EVA does a family of four need?
You will need a minimum of two EVA composters. You fill up the first container and let it process the waste. Start filling up the second EVA. By the time you finish filling the second EVA, the first one will be ready for harvesting.
Is there a hole at the bottom from where I can harvest the compost even as I keep adding waste from the top?
No. EVA is not designed that way. Once the composter is filled up, you have to give it time to do its job. Once the process is over, take out the inner container, harvest the compost and put it back to start the next batch.
14. Should I discard the filter cloth after harvesting the compost?
No. It’s a reusable GSM fabric. Just rinse it once and reuse it.
15. Can I use dry leaves instead of cocopeat?
Yes, you can. However, dry leaves take up a lot of space and hence, your composter will fill up fast. If you are fine with that, then dry leaves can be used instead of cocopeat.