This contraption, designed by a UVic alum, has been named one of 2020's best inventions

One man's trash disposal invention might be your new kitchen treasure.

Victor Nicolov, University of Victoria engineering alumnus and CEO of B.C.-based Anvy Technologies, is the creator of a new home waste disposal system that was recently named by Time magazine as one of the top inventions of 2020.

Every year, the magazine releases a list of inventions, selected from nominations submitted by its staff that, according to a statement, "are making the world better, smarter and even a bit more fun."

Nicolov's product is also making it less smelly.

Called the Sepura system, it is similar in function to a garburator in that it is a garbage disposal unit that sits under the kitchen sink. Users simply toss food scraps into the sink and they go down the drain into the Sepura unit.

What is different about Nicolov's unit is that it separates and collects solids in an odourless, sealed bin under the sink. LED lights indicate when the bin is full, at which point the contents can be easily removed and emptied for composting or collection.

"It's a convenient way to get rid of food waste at home, but at the end of the day you are being eco-friendly about it," said Nicolov during an interview on CBC's All Points West. 

"The idea there is to keep as many solids out of the drain as possible," he added.

Not only is this easier on the environment, Nicolov said it can also be easier on household and municipal pocket books because solids are often behind problems that arise in plumbing and sewage systems.

In a news release from the engineering department at UVic, where Nicolov studied mechanical engineering, he is quoted saying the recognition from the iconic American magazine represents about two years of hard work by a whole team.

Until COVID-19 restrictions went into effect, Nicolov ran Anvy Technologies from an office on campus.