Subpod

Subpod
We absolutely LOVE our Subpod, and are over the moon delighted to be able to introduce this incredibly innovative product that effectively diverts ‘waste’ from environmentally harmful landfills and instead offers a closed-loop, circular and sustainable solution that composts everyday household waste into fertile soil to help you grow healthy food.
The big picture problem:
  • In Australia, over 5 million tonnes of food ends up in landfill. That's enough to fill 9,000 Olympic sized swimming pools.
  • Worldwide 33% of all food produced is lost or wasted, making up more than 50% of global landfill waste.
  • More than 14% (1 in 7) of the global population go hungry on a daily basis, and 12% of the population are undernourished.
The sustainable solution:
  • Let’s retire our rubbish bins. We can grow our own food and compost our waste, donate, repair or even compost old clothes and recycle old technology so that every part is used again. Instead of take, consume, dispose – we can grow, consume, compost. Our planet is precious, and the sustainable solution is all about making the most of what it gives us.
  • Every 20k people who compost can divert over 10k tonnes of organic waste from landfill, and produce 400+ tonnes of fresh food – every year.
  • Eliminating global food waste would have the same effect as taking one in four cars off the road, saving 4.4 million tonnes of C02 a year. Just one average family using a Subpod for one year is achieving the equivalent of taking their car off the road for six months! 
Subpod began with a simple idea: To make composting a part of everyday life. The founder & inventor, Andrew, grew up composting with his immigrant family. Their financial struggle after coming to Australia taught him the value of good food. 
Andrew recognised that old school composting systems were difficult to use, ineffective and messy. So he began designing a solution that overcame these flaws. Years of dedication powered by the belief that 'if we feed the soil, we feed the world' allowed Andrew, joined over time by an eclectic team of eco warriors who shared his vision, to manifest the dream of offering Subpod to the world in Jan 2019.  They have continued to 'grow' their close knit team and the worldwide compositing community they serve ever since.
This award winning Australian 3 in 1 - home compost system, worm farm and garden seat, is an ingenious way to turn your food waste into a rich, nutritious fertiliser that feeds the soil faster while creating the perfect base for growing your own plants and herbs. The simple flat-pack design clicks together in five minutes. No tools required, just fold your Subpod out and click the lid into place.  It will compost up to 20kg of food waste weekly, is quick and easy to maintain, and is mess and smell free. Subpod is the compost system for people who love simple.
The underground perforation system allows worms to move between your food waste and the surrounding soil freely while aerating your compost naturally. The insulated above-ground section ensures perfect aeration while keeping the system odourless and pest-free. It even functions as a garden seat.
How the Subpod Works
Subpod is an in-ground compost system and worm farm. Compost worms and microbes live inside Subpod and turn all the materials you feed them (food scraps, paper, coconut peat) into rich compost. Over time, nutrients from the compost will feed your garden soil and help your plants thrive.
Compost Underground
Compost worms live happily in the Subpod. Underground, they compost in the dark, protected from harsh weather conditions and direct sunlight. Fresh air circulates through the Subpod via the ventilation panels, which helps aerobic (odourless) microbes speed up the composting process.  As the worms and microbes breed, they explore the soil, taking particles of compost with them and boosting fertility through the garden bed.

Soil is an insulator, it protects the worms in hot weather and gives them a cool place to escape to. When it's cold, the soil traps heat in the Subpod and keeps the worms active during winter – so you can compost all year round.
What can be composted?
You can compost a much bigger variety of materials in Subpod than in other worm farm systems! See the full list below:

FOOD WASTE ✅
Most food waste can be composted in Subpod without worry. Fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, used tea leaves, spoiled plant-based milks, grains, pastas, breads, nuts (and their shells), seeds, pits, husks and so on. Small amounts of citrus, onion and garlic may also be added. Subpod can also process spicy herbs, peppers and oils but it’s best to introduce these slowly in small amounts at first, and only once your worms are fully established (after around three months).

PAPER & CARD ✅
Most scrap paper and cardboard can be added to Subpod, as long as it’s not laminated or super glossy. Again, the smaller the pieces, the better. Junk mail, office paper, bills, envelopes (no plastic windows), post-it notes. Paper plates, tissues, paper cupcake liners, baking paper, even card and paper packaging is fine.

NATURAL FIBRES ✅
Cotton wool balls and pads, tampons, toilet paper cores and even natural latex gloves can go into Subpod. Old clothing, face washers, napkins, tablecloths and very old towels can be used as long as they are made from natural fibres like cotton, tencel, linen, hemp (no polyester, nylon, acrylic or blends) – just shred them into small pieces first. Washer and dryer lint is okay too, as long as it comes only from clothing made from natural fibres.

WOOD AND BAMBOO ✅
Sawdust (no paint) is great. Toothpicks, disposable wood, bamboo and bioplastic cutlery and crockery can be composted, along with dead matches, bamboo skewers, garden prunings (cut 'em up small), and charcoal from the fireplace – as long as you wash off the ash which is too alkaline for Subpod.

HUMAN AND ANIMAL WASTE ✅
Human hair and nail trimmings, used facial tissue, used cotton bandages and sanitary items can all be composted in Subpod, as long as they are made from 100% natural fibres. Pet hair of all kinds is fine, along with soiled newspaper and hay cage liners and faeces from vegetarian pets and livestock (rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, cows and horses). Dog and cat faeces are NOT suitable for Subpod if you’re eating the plants growing around it. But fine if you want to have a separate one for this purpose.

NOT COMPOSTABLE 🛑
You cannot compost non-organics such as plastic, tin cans, cigarettes, building waste, toxic waste, glass, or any other similar materials in Subpod.  (Find out from your local council what waste & recycling facility options they have to safely dispose of these things in the most environmentally way possible).
Is the Subpod recyclable?
Yes ;-)  When designing the Subpod many circular life economy factors were considered and every effort invested to ensure this product does more good for people and planet than less harm.  They found that the best material currently available for Australian manufacture of the Subpod is polypropylene which is naturally BPA free. It’s number for recycling is 5. This is one of the safest recyclable plastics available from a health perspective with no endocrine disruptor chemicals or leaching. Because durability and long life use is important, as a priority Subpod are initially making their composters from virgin polypropylene whilst field testing blends of up to 50% recycled polypropylene to verify these blends have sufficient strength and longevity.
Polypropylene is water and food safe and has been used in the food industry for many years, able to withstand high temperatures of about 110 degrees Celsius/230 Fahrenheit. Using polypropylene, Subpod are expected to have a minimum usable lifespan of 10-15 years in the soil without any leaching or degradation which is important since the Subpod will contain and be surrounded by a microbe-dense soil in a wide range of conditions, including damp and high humidity areas.

Doubling as bench seating requires that the materials chosen support body weight. Polypropylene based Subpod can bear up to 200 kilograms/440.93 pounds.

Finally, the Subpod can be recycled when it reaches the end of its life in your garden, completing its life cycle. There are exciting plastic substitutes being developed which Subpod will continue to monitor and adopt if they prove to be an overall better alternative in the future. 
Are you ready to retire your old school compost system, or create a world without waste? Then purchase your family a Subpod and you'll never look back.
It is also worth noting that Subpod have support various climate projects, including at the time of writing this planting more than 26,690 through Ecologi. Which means the positive ripple effect of your purchase will be multiplied even further.  And not forgetting of course that we also plant a tree for choosing to purchase from Eden Tree Eco.  So you are contributing to the planting of forests! Ohhh So much love...

If you have any questions please reach out, we are always happy to help.  We'd also love to invite you to join our 'growing' community and discover just how easy and rewarding living a self sustainable eco-friendly lifestyle can really be.

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