Biolan Quick Composter 220eco is intended for year-round composting of kitchen biowaste. Effective ventilation means less mixing and more convenient composting. The channel supplying air to the centre of the compost mass helps to ensure a quicker composting process. A temperature gauge and adjustable air valves mean easier maintenance and process monitoring. The Quick Composter has excellent thermal insulation, cover sealings and an integrated body, which prevent cold air from
penetrating the unit. The composter is protected against harmful animals.

Composting Guide

Using the Composter Biolan 220^eco

The composter is intended for biodegradable waste. Do not put into the unit anything that hampers the composting process or does not compost, such as:

• plastic, rubber, glass, leather
• chemicals, rot-resistant or disinfecting agents, paints, solvents, petrol
• detergents, washing water
• lime
• ash, cigarette butts, matches
• vacuum cleaner bags
• coloured advertising paper
• large amount of paper at one time

 
Filling

• if you use biodegradable bags, empty the waste from the bag into the composter and put the bag there separately.
• always cover the waste with Biolan Compost and Toilet Bulking Material. A suitable amount is about 1/3–1/2 of the amount of waste added. Use more bedding if the waste is wet.
• you can also put the bedding onto the bottom of the biowaste bin. This way the bin will also remain tidy.
• Continue the filling at the same pace as the waste is accumulating. If possible, add waste to the composter several times a week. This is particularly important during the cold season.
• if the temperature of the composter is higher than the temperature of the outside air, turn the adjuster of the inlet air valve to the figure 100. Follow the temperature of the composter and the outside air. If the compost mass starts cooling down, decrease the setting until the temperature stabilises.
• using the Compostmixer, mix the part of the waste added most recently, i.e. the layer about 20-30 cm thick from the top. Mixing is not necessary after every time waste is added. The more generously you apply the bedding, the less you need to mix the mass. 
• do not mix the compost mass down to the bottom, so that the lowest layer that has already cooled down does not cool down the compost mass in the heating phase.

Emptying

• The Composter Biolan 220^eco light must be emptied all-year round. Thanks to the oxygen burst, the temperature of the mass often rises in connection with the emptying. Empty the composter, when it is almost full with waste. During the warm season, empty at most half of the total content. During the cold season, empty the composter less frequently, and remove smaller amounts at a time.
• open the emptying door and empty mass the lower way using spade.
• finish to job using the Emptying Aid Clean in particular the edges of the emptying door and its opening.
• also clean under the liquid separator plate, and make sure that the seep liquid hose is not clogged.
• if the mass that you are emptying is very wet, shovel a couple of spadefuls of Biolan Compost and Toilet Bulking Material on the bottom of the composter.
• close the emptying door.
• Push down the mass after the emptyingusing the Compostmixer or the spade, push down the mass from the top. This is easiest to begin from the corners. Be careful not to break the air channel in the middle.
• empty the seep liquid receptacle, if necessary.

To be observed during the cold season

The heat in the composter is generated by combustion of the waste. The unit itself does not create any heat. The micro-organisms continuously need fresh waste for maintenance of their vital functions. The thermal insulation of the Composter Biolan 220^eco light prevents the heat from escaping, and thus sustains the operation.

• in the cold time of the year it is important to use the composter, i.e. to fill and empty it. Only then can such conditions be created for the micro-organisms that they will be able to maintain a temperature that is higher than the outside air temperature.
• even if the reading of the temperature gauge drops to zero or close to it, do not stop using the composter.
• even if the composter's temperature gauge has been at zero for a few days, there may still be some unfrozen mass inside the composter. If the composter is full, empty it even in the winter.
• do not reduce or stop the use of bedding even in the cold time of the year; using plenty of bedding is even more important then. Wet mass freezes more easily.
• store the bedding in a warm space, protected against rain.
• check that freezing of the air inlet or the air outlet valves will not impede the circulation of air. Remove any ice as needed.
• freezing of the mass does not harm the compost mass or damage the composter or its components. The decomposition of the compost mass will continue once the sun starts warming things up again in spring. 

Cleaning the Composter Biolan 220^eco

• Do not wash the composter. Various mould and ray fungi and micro-organisms are the decomposers in the compost, and should not be washed away.
• Clean the air inlet valve, the air outlet opening and the seep liquid hose, if necessary.

Using the air inlet valve

• if the temperature of the composter is higher than the temperature of the outside air, keep the adjuster of the inlet air valve turned to the right, i.e. in the position 100.
• follow the temperature of the composter and the outside air. If the compost mass starts cooling down, decrease the setting until the temperature stabilises.
• during the warm season, you can generally keep the air inlet valve fully open, i.e. in the position 100, and during the cold season, almost closed, i.e. in the position 20.
• by design the air inlet valve can never be fully closed. In the position 20, 20 % of its holes are open.

Using the air outlet valve

• normally, the air outlet valve does not need to be adjusted. It is open, and cannot be closed at all. If the moisture-content of the composter is high, you can increase the ventilation by opening the valve.
• to open the valve, move its knob to the position "extra", i.e. to the right, seen from behind the composter.
• note that the intensified ventilation may cool down the composter in winter. Follow the situation.

Permissions and regulations applying to composting

The permissions and regulations applying to the composting vary from country to country, or even from municipality to municipality. Consult your local municipal environmental authority for the regulations valid in your own municipality.

Typically in Finland:

• the composter for domestic waste must be thermally insulated, equipped with a cover and protected against rodents.
• in some municipalities it is required that the municipal environmental authority or the refuse disposal company be notified of composting domestic waste
• pure garden waste may be composted in a non-insulated composter, in a board frame or in a pile.
• the compost must be looked after so that no harm is caused to people’s health or to the environment.
• the composter must not be placed closer than 15 metres to a well.
• the composter must not be placed closer than 5 metres to the border of a neighbour without the neighbour’s consent.

Instructions for use

Selecting location for the composter

Place the Composter Biolan 220^eco in a location, to which waste can easily be taken all year round. Place the composter on a firm surface in a location where water will not gather.

The Biolan 220^eco has a hole for seep liquid in the lower part behind the unit for draining any excessive liquid. Place the composter in direct contact with the ground so that possible seep liquid can be absorbed into the soil. Optionally, you can collect the seep liquid for later use.

If the compost mass is exceptionally wet, some seep liquid might run out from under the emptying door or it might seep through the air inlet valve in the front wall.

Before use

Check that the knob of the outlet air valve is in the position "normal", i.e. to the left, as seen from behind the composter.

Fix the opening stay for the cover in place in the cover using the screw and the plastic nut. Fix its lower to the body using a screw.

Connecting the seep liquid hose and conducting the liquid

The Biolan 220^eco has a hole in the lower part behind the unit, for draining off any excessive liquid to be absorbed into the soil. If you want, you can conduct the seep liquid into a collecting tank, but this is not mandatory.

Connect a fabric-reinforced garden hose of 16 mm to the seep liquid hole in the lower part at the back of the unit. Route the hose into a canister that you have placed in such a way that the liquid will flow by gravity alone. If you want, you can build for the canister an externally insulated pit with cover of film-faced plywood.

Any canister made from frost-resistant plastic can be used. 

Commissioning

Put on the bottom a 5 cm-thick layer (about 20 litres) of Biolan Compost and Toilet Bulking Material. Turn the adjuster of the air inlet valve in the front wall to the left.

Start to use the composter. Add bedding more generously during the first filling. You can decrease the amount of bedding later.

Start of the composting process

The composting process starts as soon as there is a sufficient amount of waste in the composter, i.e. the waste is approximately level with the air channel. The composting process is understood to start when the temperature of the mass inside the composter rises above the outside air temperature. The temperature in the composter is raised and maintained by the vital functions of the micro-organisms that are created in the composter provided that waste is added regularly. The insulation of the composter keeps the heat inside, and prevents the outside air from cooling the mass.

In the Composter Biolan 220^eco the temperature of the mass varies between +10 – +70 °C. Typically, the reading of the temperature gauge is +30–40 °C. The composting process will, however, proceed at an even lower temperature. Observe the location of the thermometer at the upper air pipe. The thermometer gives indicative information about the various stages of the composting process and the temperature during the hot phase. The hottest part is in the middle, which the thermometer cannot sense. A high temperature indicates the vitality of the micro-organisms. The lower the temperature, the slower the composting process. Composting of the waste will proceed as long as there is a supply of oxygen and the temperature stays above 0 °C. The function of the composter can at best be judged by the quality of the compost being emptied. In a well-functioning composter the compost becomes fully decomposed, except for citrus fruit peels or eggshells that still can be recognisable. After start-up, the waste reaches the cover soil stage in 5-8 weeks. The start-up can be delayed, if the outside air temperature is below 0 °C.

If the temperature of the composter is higher than the temperature of the outside air, turn the adjuster of the inlet air valve in the front wall to the right. Follow the temperature of the composter and the outside air. If the composter tends to cool after starting up, decrease the setting.

Operating principle and construction of the Composter Biolan 220^eco

• Top-quality urethane insulation with 30% better thermal insulation capacity than that of expanded polystyrene (EPS); source: Bayer
• Even insulation layer from a single mould without any thermal bridges over the seams
• Insulation even in the bottom
• The cover and emptying door carefully sealed using a sealing strip cast in place
• Easy-to-follow temperature gauge
• The air exchange system brings air to the centre of the compost mass
• In the air outlet valve in the cover a position for boosting the ventilation
• Five-step adjustment of the air inlet valve in the body
• The cover can be unlocked and lifted with one hand only
• Automatically locking stay for the cover
• The hinges of the cover enable adjustment, if necessary
• A grip in the bottom and a handhold in the cover make the unit more portable
• Orderly drainage of seep liquid at the lower part behind the unit
• Easy to empty from the lower door

What happens in the Composter Biolan 220^eco?

The decomposing micro-organisms have three basic needs that have to be fulfilled to enable composting: the presence of oxygen, moisture and nutrients.

Oxygen: The micro-organisms need oxygen to survive. To ensure sufficient airiness, mix Biolan Compost and Toilet Bulking Material with the waste. Applying suitable bulking material is essential for proper operation of the composter. The Biolan Compost and Toilet Bulking Material brings about looseness, binds excess moisture and neutralises odours. Branch chaff can also be used for additional looseness. Sawdust, cutter chips, peat, tree leaves and grass are materials which pack up and therefore should not be used as bulking material.

Moisture: The micro-organisms of the compost can only survive in a humid environment. The moisture-content is suitable when the mass looks moist and, when clenched in the hand, a few drops of water can be extracted from it.

Nutrients: The carbon-nitrogen balance of the compost must be correct. Kitchen waste, green garden waste, manure and urine are sources of nitrogen. Withered brown waste, such as ripened hay, straw, tree leaves and branches contains carbon. The Biolan Compost and Toilet Bulking Material is also rich in carbon. The micro-organisms that decompose the compost use the waste in the compost as well as each other for nutrition.

Phase of composting

Three separate phases can be identified in composting: 

• the warming phase (in the top layer)
• the hot phase (in the middle)
• the cooling phase (in the bottom layer).

In the Composter Biolan 220^eco all these phases are simultaneously in progress in different layers.

Dimension drawing

• Volume: about 220 litres
• Height: 115 cm
• Bottom area: 54 x 54 cm
• Cover (w x l): 73 x 80 cm
• Diameter of the seep liquid hole: 16 mm
• Weight of the cover when opening: 3,5 kg
• Weight of an empty composter: about 30 kg
• Weight of a full composter: 100 - 150 kg
• Working height: 102 cm
• Material: frost-resistant UV-protected polyethylene
• Insulation material: freon-free polyurethane
• Ventilation: adjustable, patented
• Other items: thermometer
• Optional colours: green, dark grey