Panasonic has just released details on its upcoming home compost machine which will be sold in Japan in late April.

The home compost machine actually breaks down organic garbage in only a few hours. Adding to the cool factor is the ability to set a moisture level for your end product depending on your needs. Looking for some wet, sloppy compost? No problem. Want some dried up husks of compost. It’ll do that too.

The major drawback to this super slick green gadget becomes apparent when you look into how it works. It uses a platinum-palladium catalyst to break organic garbage down at high speed. Platinum-palladium? That doesn’t sound cheap. And it isn’t with a retail price expected to be a USD equivalent of $881.

The machine can also only compost two kilograms at a time but if that’s a problem then you’re probably wasting too much food anyway. Not to be preachy but come on. Food waste in America seems to be a little out of control.

There’s no word yet if the Panasonic Home Compost Machine will be available in the U.S.

Don’t have a garden to compost in? Not everyone has space for a compost heap, but all homes produce compostable waste. Want a composter in your apartment or house? We’ve taken a look around at some options for you to be able to participate in composting, even if you don’t have a backyard.

Check out the built-in cabinet composting unit by Nature Mill. You just add your organic garbage )veggie trimmings, coffee grounds, egg shells etc) and the upper chamber of the composter mixes, heats and aerates the waste. The composter transfers the composted waste to a lower chamber which you empty every couple weeks.

It is basically a miniature in-vessel system.  Waste is collected right where it is generated; in the kitchen. Everything you need to compost at home is fully self contained in a subtle, sturdy container and just a few square feet of floor space is required.