A food waste disposer LG Electronics is set to launch in 2025
LG Electronics Inc., the world’s largest home appliance maker, will make its foray into the food waste disposer market in the first quarter of 2025, heralding a shake-up in the sector led by small electronics companies, according to industry sources on Monday.
The South Korean household name is set to become the first electronics giant to enter the market as it is expanding its mass market product lineup to cope with Chinese rivals’ product diversification.
Last August, LG Electronics collaborated with the city of Ansan in Gyeonggi Province to test its food waste disposers with about 40 apartment complex households in a pilot project.
Its food disposer will be built in a kitchen sink and decompose food through microbial fermentation. LG is considering selling the products on a subscription basis as well.
It drains the water from food waste in the sink drain and then ferment and dry food waste. No food powder or debris will be discharged into the sewer pipe, so there is less chance of water pollution, sewer pipe blockage and backflow.
The domestic food waste disposer market is being led by small and medium-sized electronics companies such as Hurom Co., Cuckoo Electronics Co., a unit of Cuckoo Holdings Co., Minix and Smartcara Co.
Food waste disposers are one of top four popular home appliances, alongside robot vacuum cleaners, dish dryers and laundry dryers.
But large home appliance makers have neglected the market because of hygiene and environmental protection issues.
Samsung Electronics Co., registered a food waste disposer trademark in 2020, but has yet to launch the product.
According to Global Information Inc., a data provider, the global food waste disposer market is forecast to grow to $48.8 billion by 2031 from $26.4 billion in 2021.
LG pioneerd the clothing steam cleaner market
LG has pioneered niche home appliance markets.
Its clothing steam cleaner, the Styler, has become one of its flagship products since its launch 2011 and Samsung Electronics rolled out similar products to play a catch-up.
In 2022, LG unveiled shoe steam cleaners: ShoeCase and ShoeCare.
By Chae-Yeon Kim
Why29@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article.
