Composting
Composting turns food scraps and garden waste into a soil-like material that can be used as fertiliser and soil conditioner.
The most basic method is a simple layered pile of organic materials that is kept moist and aerated so micro-organisms can break it down. Compost heaps need regular turning and re-wetting to maintain oxygen and moisture levels.
Commercial compost bins and tumblers are also widely available.
Successful composting requires the right balance of:
- Carbon (‘brown’ materials such as straw, dry leaves and sawdust)
- Nitrogen (‘green’ materials such as lawn clippings, veggie scraps and leafy prunings)
Worm farming
Worm farming uses specific types of composting worms (such as Tiger or Red Wriggler) to process kitchen scraps. Worms convert organic material into nutrient-rich castings and liquid fertiliser, both excellent for garden use.
Worm farms can be purchased from hardware stores or made from reused items, such as polystyrene vegetable boxes from local greengrocers. Compost tumblers and worm farms are also commonly found second-hand or can be made at home.
Bokashi Bucket
A Bokashi bucket is an airtight composting system that uses micro-organisms to ferment food scraps into nutrient-rich pre-compost and liquid fertiliser. Food scraps, including fruit and vegetable scraps, tea leaves and tea bags, coffee grounds, prepared foods, dairy, eggs, bread, meat and fish, whether cooked or uncooked can go in your kitchen Bokashi bucket.
Bokashi kits are usually sold with a bucket and Bokashi mix, such as bran or a spray, although there are also many guides available online for setting up a DIY system.
Bokashi systems are best suited to apartments and homes without a large outdoor space. A Bokashi bucket can be kept inside, such as in a kitchen or laundry, but you will need somewhere to bury the end product or add it to a compost system.
Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO)
Your Food Organics and Garden Organics bin rescues food scraps and garden organics from the general waste bin so they can be earth-cycled on a commercial scale and turned into compost, which can be used enrich the soil in parks, gardens and farms.
All your food scraps including fruit, vegetables, eggshells, bread, dairy, meat, bones and cooked leftovers can go in the compostable liner of your kitchen caddy and be put in the FOGO bin.
Outside the house, garden organics like grass clippings, flowers, weeds, herbs, small branches and leaves can go FOGO bin.
Remember, if it didn’t grow - it’s not FOGO.
FOGO bins are collected weekly, and the material is taken to a processing facility, where it is shredded, screened for contamination and sorted. It is then piled, covered, turned and aerated to reach the high temperatures needed for composting. After six to eight weeks, the material is screened, graded and blended with other ingredients, such as manure, loam, sand and minerals, before being sold or used in the community as compost or soil conditioner. This is the circular economy in action.
Visit the WasteSorted Go FOGO page to learn more about FOGO and see a list of where you can buy compost and soil products made partially from FOGO waste.