Zera Food Recycler Turns Food Waster Into Fertilizer

Whirlpool launched its new Zera Food Recycler on Indiegogo in 2017. It is now available directly from Whirlpool's WLabs innovation incubator. The kitchen appliance turns food waste into fertilizer. It debuted at CES 2017.

Whirlpool says Zera can convert one week's worth of food waste into homemade fertilizer within 24 hours. It is designed to fit into the ktichen. Zera uses a ombination of oxygen, moisture, heat and mixing to expedite the decomposition process. It can be operated with a mobile app.

Jennifer Bonuso, Senior Director, CPG & WLabs, says in a statement, "Zera Food Recycler brings a purposeful innovation to consumer kitchens, and delivers on an increasing demand for more environmentally-driven solutions for the home. We know Americans are looking for easier, more efficient ways to recycle food scraps, and the Zera system makes that possible. We're excited to bring this offering to consumers and Indiegogo is a great platform to do so, allowing us to connect with consumers in a new and compelling way."

Zera initially launched on Indiegogo< where it is available for pre-order through a $999 package and an estimated ship date of May 2017. The product is already well past its $50,000 goal. It has raised over $257,000 through 377 backers as of this writing.

Update: The Zera is now sold on Wlabs site where it retails for $1,199. It comes with one Zera replacement air filter and two Zera additive packs.

Here is a video about Zera from Whirlpool. Take a look: