Reducing Food Waste Has a Big Impact on Your Carbon Footprint
Food waste is a massive problem. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, around one-third of all global food is wasted, amounting to over 1.3 billion tons annually.
This wastes valuable resources like food, water, and land used in production and generates greenhouse gas emissions when sent to landfills. Organic waste, like food scraps, undergo anaerobic decomposition and release methane, which is over 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Reducing food waste can significantly dent your carbon footprint.
Composting food scraps is one great way to avoid creating methane-releasing waste. However, traditional composting requires the hassle of maintaining a compost pile or bin. It requires the proper ratio of materials, regular turning and watering, and a decent amount of outdoor space.
Bokashi composting offers an easier, more convenient way to compost your food waste at home without a backyard or heavy lifting. It’s a novel system that relies on beneficial microorganisms to ferment the waste in an airtight bucket. Please keep reading to learn what bokashi is, how it works, and how to start reducing your food waste footprint using this clever composting method.
What is Bokashi Composting?
Bokashi composting is a simple and convenient way to compost food waste without needing a backyard compost pile or managing ratios of green and brown materials.
Bokashi uses fermenting food waste with beneficial microorganisms to break it down. This anaerobic process happens in a closed bucket, so there’s no backyard space required. No heavy lifting or turning is involved, like in a traditional compost pile.
The key is adding a Bokashi bran inoculant, which introduces lactic acid bacteria to ferment the food waste. This fermentation happens quickly, often in just 10-14 days. The process doesn’t require balancing carbon and nitrogen ratios perfectly like conventional composting. Bokashi works on all kinds of food waste, from fruits and veggies to meat and dairy.
The main benefits of Bokashi composting are convenience:
- no outdoor space is needed
- simplicity
- no heavy lifting or ratio managing
The closed system contains any smell and leachate for a clean indoor process. Bokashi provides an easy way to divert food waste from landfills.
How Bokashi Composting Works
Bokashi composting relies on fermentation to break down food waste. Unlike traditional backyard composting, which uses aerobic decomposition (requiring oxygen), bokashi composting uses anaerobic fermentation.
The bokashi composting process starts by adding bokashi bran to your food waste. This bran contains microorganisms called “Effective Microorganisms” (EMs), which kickstart the fermentation process. EMs are types of yeasts, lactic acid bacteria, and phototrophic bacteria that help break down food waste.
When you add the bokashi bran, the EMs start consuming and breaking down the sugars and starches within the food waste. This anaerobic process produces organic acids like lactic acid, acetic acid, and alcohol. The acidic environment helps preserve the food waste and suppresses rotten smells.
The fermentation inside the sealed bucket also prevents other microbes like mold from growing. Over 2-3 weeks inside the bucket, the EMs break down the food waste into a product resembling pickled food waste or compost tea. The fermented waste is then buried underground or added to a traditional composter to decompose into rich soil fully.
Bokashi Composting vs Traditional Composting
Bokashi composting differs from traditional backyard composting in some key ways:
Space
- Traditional composting requires a dedicated outdoor compost bin or pile that takes up a fair amount of space in your yard. Bokashi composting only requires a small indoor bucket, so it’s great for urban or apartment dwellers with limited outdoor space.
Effort
- Maintaining a traditional compost pile requires regularly turning and aerating the pile, monitoring moisture levels, and balancing green and brown materials. Bokashi composting requires sprinkling bokashi bran onto food waste and draining the liquid from the bucket – much simpler!
Smell
- Traditional compost piles can get quite smelly from the decomposition process. Bokashi uses fermentation rather than decomposition, so there is no foul odor. The bokashi bran inhibits odor-causing microbes.
Speed
- Traditional compost can take several months to break down fully into finished compost. The bokashi fermentation process happens much more rapidly in 2-4 weeks.
End product
- Traditional compost results in a soil-like humus end product. Bokashi results in pre-compost—it still needs to be buried or added to a traditional compost pile to fully break down, but bokashi pre-compost speeds up the traditional process.
In summary, bokashi composting requires less space, effort, or maintenance than traditional composting. And it contains any smells. It’s an easy, convenient way to compost in any living situation!
Getting Started with Bokashi
Getting started with bokashi composting is easy. Here’s what you’ll need to get your bokashi bucket set up:
- Bokashi bucket with a tight-fitting lid
- Bokashi bran
- Bokashi starter mix
- Scoop or gloves for handling food waste
Follow these simple steps to set up your bokashi bucket:
- Add a few inches of bokashi bran to the bottom of the bucket. The bran will help absorb liquid from the food waste.
- Sprinkle a small amount of bokashi starter mix on top of the bran layer. The starter contains beneficial microorganisms that will help kickstart the fermentation process.
- Place the lid on the bucket, ensuring it’s tightly sealed. This helps create the anaerobic environment needed for bokashi composting.
- You’re ready to add food waste to your bokashi bucket!
With just a few inexpensive supplies, you can easily start bokashi composting at home. The process is odor-free and requires no outdoor space, making it a convenient option for urban and apartment dwellers.
Using Your Bokashi Bucket
The Bokashi bucket has a filter inside, allowing liquid to drain to the bottom chamber. This liquid is full of beneficial microbes and can be drained off and diluted as fertilizer.
You’ll want to add food waste to your bucket daily. Cut or break down larger pieces to allow better circulation of the bran inoculant. The following items can be added:
- Fruits and vegetable scraps
- Eggshells
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Tea bags
- Nutshells
- Dairy products
- Meat and fish bones
- Moldy bread
Avoid adding:
- Liquids like milk, juice, or soup
- Oils or grease
- Pet waste
To collect food waste daily:
- Keep your Bokashi bucket in a convenient spot, like under the kitchen sink.
- Have a smaller countertop container to collect food scraps when preparing meals.
- Empty the scraps into the Bokashi bucket each night.
- Rinse and drain wet scraps to remove excess liquid before adding to the bucket.
- Always close the lid tightly after adding food waste.
Adding waste regularly prevents odor and allows the inoculant to work effectively. Follow the layering method by adding food waste, then sprinkling a small handful of Bokashi bran to cover. Repeat layers as you fill the bucket.
Troubleshooting Tips
Bokashi composting is relatively simple, but occasionally problems can arise. Here are some common issues and solutions for troubleshooting your bokashi composting system:
Mold Growth
It’s normal to see mold growth on your bokashi bucket’s top layer. This is usually white or blue mold. Small patches are ok, but if you see large amounts of mold, it could mean your bokashi is too wet and needs more drainage. Try adding more dry material like sawdust or paper. Also, press or drain off any excess liquid that accumulates at the bottom of the bucket.
Bad Smells
An adequately managed bokashi bucket should have little odor. However, something is off if you notice a strong rotting or ammonia smell. This usually happens if you’ve added too much nitrogen-rich material like meat, dairy, or pet waste. Limit these ingredients to small amounts, and add more carbon-rich sawdust or paper to balance it out. Also, make sure you drain liquid from the spigot regularly.
Tiny Bugs or Worms
Small insects like fruit flies or drain flies and tiny worms can sometimes get into a bokashi bucket. This is usually not a major problem. Simply drain off any accumulated liquid where they may be breeding. You can also cover the material with a bit more sawdust or newspaper to discourage them. They will disappear once the bokashi is buried in soil.
Bokashi Not Breaking Down
If your finished bokashi compost is not breaking down well after being buried in the soil, it likely needs more moisture and warmth. Make sure to bury it in moist soil that gets sun exposure. You may need to mix in additional soil or compost to introduce beneficial microbes that will help decompose the bokashi. Adding a bit of fertilizer can also speed up the process.
Liquid Too Smelly for Plants
The bokashi liquid fertilizer can sometimes develop a pungent smell. This is often due to it sitting for too long before use. Try to drain and use the liquid more frequently. If the scent is too strong for plants, dilute the liquid with water at a ratio of 1:100 before applying it to garden beds or houseplants.
With some simple troubleshooting, you can keep your bokashi composting working effectively. Pay close attention to moisture levels, drainage, and added materials’ carbon/nitrogen balance. This will prevent most issues in maintaining a healthy bokashi system.
Using the Bokashi Compost
Once your bokashi bucket is full, the compost will need a few more weeks to cure before it’s ready for use in your garden. Here’s what to do:
- Find an area in your yard to bury the compost. Dig a hole or trench 12-18 inches deep.
- Empty the contents of the bokashi bucket into the hole and mix with the soil. Cover with at least 6 inches of soil. This allows the compost to cure for 2-4 weeks.
- After a few weeks, dig up the buried compost. It should be dark, crumbly, and earthy-smelling. Break up any clumps.
- You can now mix the finished bokashi compost into your garden beds. It’s filled with beneficial microbes that will help fertilize and condition your soil.
Tips for using bokashi compost:
- Mix 1-2 inches into the top 6 inches of soil in your vegetable garden and flower beds. It provides a slow-release fertilizer.
- Combine 20% bokashi compost for potted plants with regular potting soil. The compost introduces helpful bacteria and improves drainage.
- Sprinkle lightly around the base of plants and work into the soil. A little goes a long way since it’s highly concentrated.
- Use to top dress lawns, blend into seed starting mix, or add to compost piles.
With bokashi compost, you can reduce food waste and improve your soil simultaneously!
Advantages of Bokashi Composting
Bokashi composting provides several key benefits over traditional backyard composting methods:
Small Space
One of the biggest perks of bokashi is that it takes up very little space. You only need a small airtight bucket with a drain spout to collect the compost “tea.” This makes it perfect for urban environments or anywhere space is limited. There is no need for large compost bins or piles in your backyard.
Convenience
Bokashi composting is highly convenient and easy to maintain daily. Simply add your food scraps to the bucket, sprinkle with bokashi bran, and drain the tea as needed. There’s no heavy lifting, turning piles, or balancing carbon-to-nitrogen ratios. The closed system does not contain any odors.
Faster Process
While traditional composting can take several months to break down, bokashi speeds up the process through fermentation. The bokashi bran pickles food waste, pre-digesting it for faster decomposition. You can compost in just 2-3 weeks.
Nutrient Retention
The anaerobic process retains more nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium, than aerobic composting. Bokashi “tea” is a nutritious fertilizer.
Lower Methane Emissions
Bokashi doesn’t produce methane gas like landfills, reducing your carbon footprint. Closed fermentation prevents greenhouse gas emissions.
With minimal effort, Bokashi enables easy composting and reduces environmental impact. It’s an accessible system for any household to implement.
Conclusion
Bokashi composting offers an easy and effective way to reduce household food waste and lower carbon footprint. Unlike traditional backyard composting, bokashi uses a particular EM-based bran to ferment the food waste in an anaerobic process inside your home. The result is nutrient-rich compost that can be buried directly in your garden.
You can start reducing your food waste today with just a few simple supplies like a bokashi bucket and bran. The process produces minimal odors and mess, so it’s ideal for urban and suburban households without access to outdoor compost piles. Bokashi composting works faster than traditional composting, too, so you can convert food scraps into usable compost in just two weeks.
Try bokashi if you want a convenient and eco-friendly solution to reducing food waste. Not only will you reduce your environmental impact, but you’ll also end up with nutritious compost that can be directly fed to your plants and garden soil. With a few easy steps each day, bokashi allows anyone to start composting food waste, even if they live in an apartment or have limited outdoor space. Join the growing movement of eco-conscious households and go bokashi today!