Hello, hello storymaker.

I’ve been on the hunt for a better way to compost at home. Right now, I take my food scraps to a local farm, but I’ve been itching to upgrade my compost game and actually gain more experience with soil.

Naturally, I started wondering: Do I need one of those nifty countertop compost machines I keep seeing everywhere? Or is there a better way?

What was meant to be a little personal journey led me down a rabbit hole and straight into this week’s article.

The big question mark: Are electric composters the new kitchen ‘it’ item? 👑

We’ve seen this pattern before with other kitchen gadgets turned into cultural movements. The Instant Pot came in to save your life in the mid-2010s, then in 2020, sourdough starters during lockdown became a staple. And the air fryers became America’s favorite kitchen appliance, promising a faster, “healthier” dinner.

If you think about it from a human psychology stance, these appliances/kitchen gadgets reflect not just what we cook, but who we are trying to be.

👑 And in early 2022, the crown was passed down to the electric composters. These sleek, countertop devices claim to turn your food scraps into compost, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. I believe they’re selling you the idea of doing something “sustainable” from the comfort and convenience of your own home.

Here’s the catch: Not all composters live up to their promises. Some are more about creating hype than actually tackling food waste and producing healthy living soil. Did they forget that’s almost the whole point (?).

Because the future is in our living soil.

For context (and a bigger story beyond composting), Forbes recently put it bluntly: “The Future is Dry: Why Soil is the Sexiest Climate Solution.”

By 2050, drought is expected to affect 75% of the world’s population. Healthy soil sequesters 3–4x more carbon than trees. And one teaspoon of healthy living soil contains more organisms than all the people on Earth. (USDA).

Yet soil rarely makes the headlines. Reforestation usually dominates climate campaigns. Soil, meanwhile, is literally eroding underfoot. Industrial farming and climate pressures are stripping it bare, turning fertile land into… dusty grounds.

While soil may hold the key to our climate future, most of us don’t interact with soil every day. What we do interact with? Our kitchens. That’s why composting has become the entry point for so many consumers and why a new wave of sleek, techy devices has entered the scene.

But not all composting tools are created equal. This new wave of kitchen countertop electronic composters, which claim to produce the living soil we desperately need. Don’t. At best, these composters cut food waste. At worst, they confuse consumers about what real composting is.

A New York Times Wirecutter investigation spent six months testing popular countertop “composters” like Lomi, FoodCycler, and others. The conclusion?

👉 They don’t actually make compost.

What do they do?? Essentially, these appliances dehydrate scraps into grounds, which can attract pests, harm plants, and still release methane if tossed in the trash.

So while these machines reduce food waste (and look great on a counter), they’re often more gadget than a solution to (re)produce healthy living soil.

I believe these electronic composters need a better or clearer description. Like scraps dehydrators or food waste grinders, not so much actual composters.

Labeling these products as “electric composters” can be risky and may mislead conscious consumers about their true capabilities, leading to a widespread misunderstanding of compost practices.

Another thorough research by Ron Alexander, a horticulturist and specialist in product and market development for organic recycled products, on the electric kitchen “composter” confusion, found that these sleek kitchen “composters” aren’t really composters at all—they’re food dehydrators that make scraps less messy, but the output still needs more processing before it’s safe for your soil or plants.

These brands have found product–market fit by making food waste stylish. But their brand storymaking needs improvement.

On the positive side, these products are cultural signals. They tell us people want to feel like they’re part of the climate solution. But if the story stops at convenience, we miss the deeper opportunity to produce healthy living soil.

Zero waste living creator @simpleenvironmentalist has really good videos on at-home composters (here) and 12 different ways to start composting tuuudayy(here). She yaps about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Check them out!

These sources lead to specific stories on electric composters. Also worth a read:
The Compost Culture, Honestly Modern, BioCycle, The New York Times, Sierra Club

Real compost takes time, microbes, and a complete decomposition cycle. It produces living soil that nourishes plants, stores carbon, filters water, and sustains biodiversity.

And that’s where brands—and cultural leaders—come in. Instead of selling convenience, what if the narrative shifted toward closing the loop? Teaching people not just how to process scraps, but how to return soil to life:

Because sustainability isn’t about pressing a button on a kitchen counter appliance, it’s about (re)connecting with community and being out in nature.

My search for a new way to compost reminded me that scraps are only half the story. The soil we create is where the real power lives.

Because soil = community. It’s how we rebuild what we need most: Nourishment, resilience, and connection to a garden, our community, and our Mother Nature.

Let me know in the comments if you have an electric composter (what are your thoughts) or your favorite method to compost at home!

🌀 Till next time,

Camila from Conscious Voices

📣 Know someone building a conscious brand who needs this? Forward away.