Of the 6 million tons of annual garbage (150 kilograms per capita of population per year) derived by commercial business in Japan, only 0.3 % is recycled. Garbage reduction and recycling are key priorities. The garbage drier dries by heating, and reduces the rate of moisture content from 80 % to about 10 %. The output can be processed into compost and recycled in the form of organic fertilizer. The drier can dry a 50-kilogram load of garbage in about seven hours, and is also compact and odor-free. The drier is now being field tested at four locations with a view to commercializing beginning in August 2001.