[Case Study] Hokkaido Nursing Home: Cost Reduction via GOMISER | AIC

CASE STUDY: SPECIAL CARE NURSING HOME SAKURA TERRACE HIRAOKA (HOKKAIDO)

A Shift to “Sustainable Operation" Realized by Sakura Terrace Hiraoka in Hokkaido. Achieving Both a Cost Reduction of $1,500/Month and Zero Heavy Labor for Staff

Installed Model: Commercial Food Waste Disposer GOMISER GH Series

#GOMISER & GOMI SUPPORTER
#Nursing & Care Facilities
#Cold Climates
#Cost Reduction
#Cleaning & Labor Reduction
#SDGs & Environmental Impact Reduction
#Hygiene Management & Sterilization
#Indoor Installation
#New Construction & Development
Achievement: Demonstrated a reduction in waste disposal costs of approximately $18,000 annually.
AIC’s “Rapid Response Support" was highly evaluated even for operations in Hokkaido.

■ Challenges Before Installation: Enormous Disposal Costs and Physical Burden on the Staff

At their previous facility, Sakura Terrace Hiraoka spent approximately $1,500 (200,000 JPY) per month just on food waste disposal costs. They decided to install a food waste disposer from a management perspective of asking, “Should we just keep throwing it away like this in the future?" and a strong desire to contribute to the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) as a social welfare facility.

⚠️ 3 Problems That Needed Solving

  • Annual Expenditure of $18,000: Funds that should have been allocated to care were disappearing into waste disposal.
  • Harsh Winter Work: The burden of carrying heavy garbage to the collection point in snowy Hokkaido.
  • Reducing Environmental Impact: A desire to lead the community in practicing environmental management.

👤 From Sakura Terrace Hiraoka

“The greatest achievement after installation is that the staff no longer have to carry heavy garbage. Although we are far away, AIC immediately provides advice with a single phone call, so we can operate it with peace of mind."

Special Care Nursing Home Sakura Terrace Hiraoka
Case Study in Sapporo City, Hokkaido

■ The Decisive Factor: Minimizing Effort with “Automatic Discharge" Through Liquefaction

After comparing and considering multiple disposers, they chose “GOMISER," which uses the power of microorganisms to decompose food waste into a liquid and discharge it directly into the sewer. The biggest deciding factor was that it minimizes the operations of the staff by eliminating the daily chore of taking out the “residue" produced after processing.

[Learn from Case Studies] Points for Choosing a Disposer

Why is the “annihilation type" chosen in facilities such as nursing homes and hospitals where hygiene is the top priority? Please check the checklist compiled by AIC from numerous installation records.


▶ How to Choose a Commercial Food Waste Disposer | 6 Points for Success

■ Effects After Installation: Elimination of Outdoor Work in Winter and Improved Hygienic Environment

With the installation accompanying their relocation to a newly built facility, the “GOMISER" was installed indoors to match the flow within the kitchen. They can now process waste cleanly and comfortably indoors, even during the cold and snow unique to Hokkaido winters. Because the volume of waste discharged has decreased drastically, they were able to reduce the frequency of industrial waste collection, and cost-cutting is proceeding as expected.

  • ✅ Staff Satisfaction: Completely freed from the harsh task of carrying heavy garbage in the snow.
  • ✅ Maintaining Hygiene: Processed immediately next to the kitchen before putrid odors emerge. Also suppresses the outbreak of pests.
  • ✅ Proven Support: Peace of mind in operation with AIC’s swift remote support, even across the distance between Sapporo and Tokyo.

▶ The “Annihilation-Type GOMISER," No. 1 in Adoption Rate at Special Care Nursing Homes

GOMISER GH Series installed at Sakura Terrace Hiraoka

(Photo: The actual unit installed indoors at Sakura Terrace Hiraoka)

■ AIC Comments: We Continue to Support Sakura Terrace Hiraoka’s Challenge

We sincerely thank Sakura Terrace Hiraoka for choosing AIC as a partner despite the distance to Hokkaido. The strengths of GOMISER are its simple structure and durability, but above all, our mission is to provide rapid response support so as “not to stop operations on-site."

  • ● To Maximize Care Time
    Reducing the labor of taking out the garbage leads to “peace of mind" for the staff. We are also delighted that this time is being used for higher-quality nursing care and conversations with residents.
  • ● To All 47 Prefectures Nationwide, Anywhere.
    The track record of Sakura Terrace Hiraoka brings great hope to facilities hesitant about installation in cold climates or distant locations. We will not use distance as an excuse, and we will continue to deliver “peace of mind" to all sites nationwide.

Sakura Terrace Hiraoka Case Study: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers


We have numerous installation track records nationwide, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south. We received praise from Sakura Terrace Hiraoka as well, saying, “The telephone response is so accurate and fast that we don’t feel the distance." Because GOMISER has a simple, hard-to-break structure, most troubles can be resolved immediately with advice over the phone (such as setting adjustments). When necessary, we also cooperate with local partner stores to ensure a system that does not stop operations on-site.

The biggest difference is the disposal cost of “residue (scraps after processing)." Composting types, for example, leave several kilograms of residue every day, and its secondary disposal requires time and money. Because the annihilation-type GOMISER decomposes food waste into water and carbon dioxide and flushes it down the sewer, it produces almost no residue. The case of Sakura Terrace Hiraoka, which was able to significantly reduce industrial waste expenses that used to cost $1,500/month, proves its economic efficiency.

GOMISER is designed for low noise and low vibration. The operating noise is kept to a level equivalent to “the quietness of a library," so even if installed in an indoor backyard like at Sakura Terrace Hiraoka, it will not disturb the residents’ sleep or the staff’s work. It is ideal for 24-hour welfare facilities because night-time operation can also be done with peace of mind.

If installed indoors, it exhibits stable processing capacity almost entirely unaffected by the outside temperature. In addition, GOMISER is equipped with a temperature control function to maintain the activity of the bio-bacteria, so the decomposition efficiency does not drop even in the sub-zero winters of Hokkaido. Rather, the advantage of eliminating the harsh task of taking garbage outside in winter is greater, and it receives high support from facilities in cold climates.

For those who want to simultaneously achieve waste cost reduction and alleviate on-site burden, just like Sakura Terrace Hiraoka.

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* We can also provide specific proposals based on the Sakura Terrace Hiraoka case study.

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