Wanaka Wastebusters - Newsletter Winter 2007


	Winter 07 Newsletter Composting vs bokashi vs worm farm Garden and kitchen waste make up 46% of our household waste. The trouble is, once they start breaking down in a landfill without oxygen, they release methane which contributes to global warming. Moisture from food and garden waste mixes with chemicals to produce leachate, a nasty toxic brew which poisons rivers and streams if it leaks out of the landfill. But kitchen scraps and garden waste can be a fantastic resource for your garden. Composting, bokashi and worm farms can turn smelly leftovers into food for your next crop. They all take some initial work to set up and learn, but once they’re cranking, they’re easy to maintain. Once you choose a system, the best way to learn is to find someone that’s been doing it for years, and ask them to show you what they’re up to. Composting Click here for composting how-to guide Advantages: Can handle big quantities and bulky garden material like prunings Makes big quantities to bulk up garden beds Disadvantages: Not good for kitchen scraps (too wet and not enough quantity to layer at one time) Rats (especially in winter, if stockpiling ingredients like food scraps) There needs to be a balance of carbon and nitrogen (that's brown and green stuff to you and I) You need a critical mass of ingredients to build up the heat required for a effective composting process Worm farm Worm farms can be made out of many recycled resources (bath, tyres or wood).Click here for a how-to worm farm guide Advantages: Ideal for kitchen scraps (except citrus and onions) Vermicast is a great product for the garden, can use directly on garden or dilute as tea. Disadvantages: Need regular care, including changing the worm bed Bokashi Bokashi is sold by the Trading Post, or you can buy large quantities directly from the bokashi New Zealand website. Mid-Canterbury Wastebusters have prepared this great guide about using bokashi. Advantages: Ideal for kitchen scraps, takes nearly all Fantastic for cultivating worms in your garden Dig directly into garden Can be used in compost heap, if you get sick of digging up your garden all the time. Can get in different form (EM1) to use on compost heaps and larger use. Disadvantages: Can’t dig directly into garden when frozen Buckets supplied with bokashi can be too small if you have a lot of kitchen scraps. Try using two empty gib buckets with holes drilled in the bottom of one.

	Home Kerbside Collections Business Collections Re-Circulate - Resource Exchange Sustainable Living - Wanaka Wanaka Wastebusters Newsletter Google Partner Page © 2007 - 2008 Wanaka Wastebusters, Cnr Riverbank and Ballantyne Roads, Wanaka Tel: 03 443 8606 Fax: 03 443 8636 E-Mail: admin@wanakawastebusters.co.nz