To dry garbage under processing with high efficiency by changing the amount of a forced draft of an air supply means based on the output of a temperature detection means which detects the temperature near a suction port which takes in an open air in a drying compartment.

Garbage is placed into a refuse vessel 3 and the vessel 3 is closed with a cover 4. When a garbage processing machine is started, the garbage is heated with a sheathed heater 11 and the water content in the garbage is vaporized. The steam is fed to a heat exchanger 13 with a fan 20 where the steam heat-exchanges with the gas produced from the garbage and condensed. At that time, a suction air temperature sensor 4e is monitored so as to detect the amount of steam produced from the garbage, thereby changing the volume of air from the fan 20. More specifically, when a large amount of steam is produced and the open air from a suction port 4c fails to be sucked up and the temperature of the suction air temperature sensor 4e rises with the steam inside the garbage vessel 3, the air volume of the fan 20 is increased. This construction makes it possible to dry the garbage with high efficiency without leaking out of odor-containing vapor into the open air.