Organic waste such as food scraps and garden waste comprises 45% of the domestic waste stream in our district. Composting is a great way of using food and garden waste to enrich the soil in your garden.
The three main options for dealing with organic waste are outlined below. For more details on these methods and a downloadable booklet visit the Create Your Own Eden website. If you would like to receive a copy of the Create Your Own Eden booklet by post please contact us.
As part of the Create Your Own Eden programme, we offer a number of free workshops explaining each of the composting methods for beginners and top tips for those who may already be composting but would like to learn more. Click here for the latest Create your Own Eden workshop dates and venues.
Traditional composting
Generally, the ingredients used to made compost come from our gardens and kitchens (mostly fruit and vegetable scraps). Compost results from the eventual decomposition or break down of the ingredients. It can take anywhere between 2 and 18 months before compost is ready to use. The length of time is governed by the method employed, what gets put into the bin, the time of year and how often the material is turned.
Worm farming
Compost can also be produced using worms. This is known as worm farming or 'vermiculture'. Tiger worms are usually used for worm farming in New Zealand. Worm farming uses the same principles as composting, but it does not generate heat. Value is added to the materials when they are eaten and excreted by the worms. This produces what is called vermicast and worm tea, which have high levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium valuable for plan growth.
Bokashi
Bokashi was developed in Japan and literally means 'fermented organic matter'. A fermented wheat-bran mixture called Compost-Zing is used in a bucket system where food is literally pickled. The final product has a slight sweet/sour smell and can be dug into your garden as fertilizer. The advantage of using Bokashi to process kitchen waste is that a wider range of food scraps can be added including cooked food, bread, fish, meat and cheese. More information on the Bokashi system can be found at www.bokashi.co.nz .
Alternative disposal of garden waste
If you have garden waste that you are unable to compost, you can take it to a Resource Recovery Centre or arrange collection with one of the following companies:
Greenfingers Garden Bags & Bins
www.greenfingers.co.nz
0800 820 000
Sunshine Garden Bag & Bin Company
www.sunshinebags.co.nz
0800 786 244
More Information:
Contact: Sarah Stead
Phone: 0800 426 5169
Email: sarah.stead@rodney.govt.nz
