Tero changes the way we recycle at home

By Mark Pavilons
Editor

Canadians waste a tremendous amount of food each year.
Roughly half of it is organic material that can be composted and put to good use.
Some residents have composting bins or backyard units, but a Canadian company has created a countertop unit to bring recycling indoors.
For those with kitchen compost buckets, you know full well the drawbacks – odours, fruit flies and mess.
The Tero, created by Elizabeth Coulombe and Valerie Laliberte, transforms food waste into a natural fertilizer, in just a few hours. Residents can take this newly composted material and feed their plants, lawns and gardens.
The Tero is brilliant in its simplicity and ease of use. You simply dump in the organics and push a button. It's quiet and goes about its work effortlessly. Best of all, it's odourless, thanks to its filtration system. It's also easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
It looks small, but it boasts a 4-litre bucket that can hold a lot of leftovers. The unit is compact and even attractive, allowing it to be placed anywhere in your kitchen.
The founders wanted to not only create a great device, but make a positive social and environmental impact. The Tero can go a long way to changing our habits in the way we deal with our own waste on a day to day basis.
The duo, who didn't have access to municipal recycling in their apartment, took matters into their own hands came up with the idea after research and visits to Quebec composting facilities. Like them, they knew that residents want to do their part for the environment, without obstacles and apprehension.
“The goal always remains to offer an effective solution to a societal problem and to contribute to a greener and more eco-responsible future.”
Enter the Tero. This one unit can make a big difference and recycle virtually all of your leftovers.
On the basis that a family starts the device 2 times a week and can transform 4 litres of organic waste per cycle, the Tero can transform an average of 416 litres of food waste per year.
The Tero can compost up to 95% of food waste. The resulting fertilizer is made of nutrient-rich organic residue.
For the moment their patented technology is used more for home use, but it can, of course, get bigger and have commercial applications.
“Indeed, in the future, we hope that the Tero device will be part of restaurants and cafeterias, where food waste is very common. You will need to follow us to know more about our progress in the next months.”
The public response has been great. People are happy to see a decrease in the amount of waste they throw away.
The company hopes the Tero will help change young people's view of recycling.
“With the Tero device, it makes us realize the amount of organic waste we throw away and makes us understand that it still has a value and deserves a second chance. We are convinced that young people will become aware of their consumption and will want to adopt the Tero into their lifestyle to improve their behaviour and habits. Indeed, once you become aware, it becomes a nonsense not to recycle.”
This is another amazing way you can reduce your footprint, right in your own home.
You can order the Tero unit on their website at www.teroinnovation.ca