If you’re a city-dwelling, sustainability-focused person, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Lomi, the at-home composting device that allows you to process your food scraps into “plant food.”
Lomi is a product created by the same company as Pela, the compostable phone case brand. As of today, the newest model, the Lomi 2, retails for $600. The Lomi 1 retails for $499.
For a while, we were considering buying the original Lomi, but after watching numerous reviews, the price and the function didn’t seem to be enough of a sell for us, especially because we already have a compost-tumbler for our garden.
According to their advertising, this product is specifically aimed at people who don’t already have access to a mode of composting. They even created an ad specifically telling certain consumers not to get a Lomi. So, we didn’t.
We buy most of our furniture, instruments, and other household items from the Facebook Marketplace. My favorite find so far is a coffee table made from wooden crates that we found in Joshua Tree. After years of browsing the Marketplace, we continued to see used Lomis pop up at various prices, usually ranging from $150-$200. Even at that price point, it didn’t seem worth it. A couple of weeks ago, however, we saw one go up for $80; on an impulse, we bought it.
I remember the seller saying “good luck” as they handed it to me and took my cash. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was making a mistake.
We’ve had our Lomi for a little over a month now; here are the pros and cons.
The Pros
Transportation: Before using Lomi, we hauled our compost scraps from our fridge and freezer to the farmer’s market or to our compost tumbler at my parents’. That process could get unintentionally messy and smelly. Now, with our Lomi “pre-compost,” which ranges from a scentless dust to dirt in texture, we can easily transport and store our Lomi-processed scraps.
Bioplastics: If you’ve ordered food to-go in the past few years, you’ve probably been given compostable cutlery, plates, and containers. These are great alternatives to plastic, but they aren’t compostable at home because they need to reach a certain temperature to break down. If you planted a compostable spoon in your garden, you’d still dig up a spoon after a couple of years. Luckily, Lomi can break these materials down on its “Lomi approved” cycle in just a few hours. This is especially convenient for compostable trash bags.
Speed: With our Lomi, we can take weeks off of our composting process, which allows us to use our compost earlier than usual, and allows us to give our soil nutrient rich compost more often.
Indoor Plant Food: On top of using Lomi’s “plant food” in our normal compost tumbler, we also use it for our indoor plants. We have a ton of potted dirt in our house, and being able to easily mix in extra nutrients into our soil is a plus.
The Cons
Sound: This at home appliance can be loud. I work from home, and depending on the cycle you choose, the duration can range from 3 to 20 hours. In our 700 square foot loft, there is no escape from the sound of our Lomi.
E-Waste: Like any other gadget, there are going to be impulse buyers who don’t hold on to it for long. Through browsing the Facebook Marketplace, the sheer number of Lomis is quite concerning. While this is marketed to consumers who don’t have access to their own compost streams, the function of Lomi is mostly focused on convenience. If you collect your food scraps at home and aren’t planning on using them to grow your own food, you’re likely better off bringing your scraps to your nearest community garden.
It doesn’t fully compost your scraps: The advertising can be quite confusing. Lomi isn’t fully composting your scraps. It’s creating “plant food,” by “heating and grinding your food waste to accelerate decomposition. Then it uses advanced sensors to monitor moisture and control temperature to create the perfect conditions for microbial activity.” If you spread the finished plant food onto your lawn, you might unknowingly attract pests. Lomi-processed scraps should be placed in true compost for further decomposition.
Filters: Unfortunately, like many products today, Lomi isn’t a one-time purchase. Lomi requires activated charcoal filters to keep your house from smelling like hot compost, which you can get either through a subscription or a one-time purchase. You can also purchase LomiPods, which help your scraps break down faster, along with eliminating waste. Their website has a number of other accessories for the device.
Smell: With filters in mind, our Lomi does have a smell. Why wouldn’t it? It’s compost, right? I can’t speak for the newer model, but I’ve noticed that our apartment has begun to smell… different than it usually does, even when the Lomi is empty and not in use. It’s not necessarily a bad smell, but when walking in our door, it’s noticeable.
Was it Worth it?
To be honest, I don’t know if it was worth it. While it’s a convenience and a luxury to be able to speed up the process of turning our scraps into compost, I’m not sure if the size and sound of our Lomi justifies its existence.
Overall, I think Lomi is a unique and impressive piece of technology. On top of that, I have a lot of respect for the transparency of the company. It’s not often that a CEO advises consumers not to overconsume, and at the very least, the product is promoting a sustainable practice.
I’m not sure if Lomi is a net positive or even a net neutral, however. I’m sure my opinion will continue to evolve in the coming months and years. If I had paid full price for my Lomi, I’d be whelmed at best, but for the price of $80, I’m satisfied enough.
If You Don’t Already Compost, Read This
Like many, you may not be composting at all. When you’re done with a meal, you’re throwing leftover food scraps straight into the garbage bag, which then goes to a landfill. Unfortunately, when in a landfill, your food scraps break down and release greenhouse gasses.
According to the United Nations 2024 Food Index Report, “food waste generates an estimated 8–10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions (including both loss and waste), and it takes up the equivalent of nearly 30 percent of the world’s agricultural land. On top of this, according to ReFed an estimated 33% of all food in the United States is wasted.
So, your uneaten food has a carbon footprint. One that, combined with everyone else on the planet, is contributing to the climate crisis.
Here are a couple of things you can do to reduce your food waste:
Reduce your overconsumption: If possible, only purchase what you’re going to use. By taking note of how much of your food typically goes to waste, you can adjust your habits. If your leafy greens often end up rotting in the back of your refrigerator, consider buying less of them.
Make what you buy last longer: On the topic of leafy greens rotting, did you know that you can make your lettuce, kale, and carrots last significantly longer by placing them in a container of ice water? If your produce is close to going bad and you won’t be eating it, consider freezing it and/or cooking it into something else for later, like a pesto.
Compost what you don’t eat: Through the power of composting, you can turn your food into more food! We keep a compost container in our refrigerator and bring it to our compost tumbler once a week. If you’re worried about odors and molding, you can freeze your food scraps instead!
As I noted above, there are a number of places you can bring your compost. If you live in a city with a municipal compost program, you can dispose of your compost in the “green bin,” which will get picked up weekly and brought to a compost facility. If you live near a community garden, plan a visit and see if they have a community compost program. If there’s a local farmer’s market near you, see if they accept compost. Finally, if you have a yard and space for a garden, consider getting your own compost tumbler!
Composting is a great way to develop your green thumb and connect with your food on a new level. There’s no better feeling than growing food with your old food!
Image Credits belong to Stevie Gray.
About the Author
Stevie Gray
Born and raised in Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, Stevie Gray is a non-fiction storyteller and film production sustainability professional determined to produce solutions-forward work that evokes systemic change. In his travels, Stevie has witnessed the intense effects of our species on Earth's ecosystems, fueling his commitment to share intersectional stories that have local and global impact. Stevie hopes to motivate readers to work towards dismantling the harmful systems that have brought us to this point in our history.
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