Dealing with kitchen scraps

Why must I deal with my kitchen scraps?  Why not just throw it in the bin?

A shocking quantity of food is wasted in South Africa each year, up to a third of all food produced.  This translates into around 10 million tonnes that mostly end up in our refuse dumps.

Food waste that is not recycled and sent to refuse dumps rots, releasing methane—a harmful greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide—substantially harming the environment.

Food that ends up in refuse dumps does not break down properly.  This food waste is buried and crushed by other rubbish, which limits its exposure to sunlight, oxygen, and helpful microorganisms.  When organic waste like food scraps is composted, it breaks down aerobically (with oxygen) in a controlled environment, producing nutrient-rich compost that can enrich soil and support plant growth.

Composting is a biological process during which naturally occurring microorganisms, bacteria, and insects break down organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings, and certain kitchen scraps into a soil-like product called compost.

What is needed for kitchen scraps to break down?

• Many bacteria and fungi need oxygen from the air to live and begin the decomposition process.
• The higher the nitrogen-to-carbon ratio, the quicker organic matter will rot because decomposers can get more energy from nitrogen.  Carbon is found in autumn leaves, shredded paper, and egg cartons, while nitrogen is found in grass clippings, kitchen scraps, and plant cuttings.
• Decomposers need water to survive and reproduce.

It is up to us all to decrease the waste going to the refuse dumps.  Your garden will forever thank you for keeping all the good stuff.

Dealing with kitchen scraps is easier than you think.

• Keep a container with eggshells, tea bags, and coffee grounds.

Once the container is full, lay it in the sun to dry.  Once dry, break up the eggshells, open the tea bags, and mix this with the coffee grounds.

We use this around all our freshly planted seedlings.

All three items will act as a mulch in your garden and, in time, decompose and add nitrogen and calcium back into the soil.  When using as mulch, do not throw the mixture onto the garden beds in thick clumps or layers; this can form a pan, making it hard for water to penetrate.   Don’t worry about coffee grounds being overly acidic.  Most of the acidity is lost in the coffee itself upon brewing.

Do you have a worm farm?  Worms love fine eggshells and coffee grounds.  At this consistency, worms can easily ingest coffee grounds and eggshells, which is a grit that aids their digestion and general health.  And what do healthy worms mean?  Better compost and better soil!

• Keep a separate container in your kitchen for all other kitchen scraps.

Nothing meaty, only fruit and vegetables.

We will bury this in the garden. Burying vegetable scraps from the kitchen into the garden is one of the easiest ways to recycle organic waste. It’s an old method that is tried and true; many of us had grandparents who buried their vegetable scraps. Vegetable scraps under the soil can also kick-start a new garden bed. If you add a few worms simultaneously, they add bulk, enrich the soil, and slowly improve soil structure. It’s rather like creating a miniature worm farm underneath your veggies!

Most vegetables take 5 days to 1 month to decompose.  An apple core or banana peel will take 1 month, while an orange peel will take 6 months.

We have been burying kitchen scraps for years and never had a rat come and dig it up.

Watch this video and see what we do

You do not have to have a worm farm or compost bin to deal with kitchen scraps.  Stop throwing all these good nutrients away.  Make a trench and bury them.  This is one of Michael’s duties in the house, and he will forever know how he is helping the planet one onion peel at a time.

Think twice before you send something to the refuse dump!

Composting in the kitchen can still be stylish!  Wawo stocks a stunning variety of composting bins that suit just about any kitchen.

Wawo knows you want to live cleaner and greener, but it’s not always easy, right?  What is the correct way to compost?  Which recycling bins should one use?  Do you mix the paper and plastic?  They understand there can be so many questions – and they are there with the answers to help simplify your journey.  The parent company, Postwink, has been helping big corporates on this journey for over a decade – and we now bring this expertise and knowledge into your home.

Wawo-related queries – hello@postwink.co.za

Postwink-related queries – info@postwink.co.za

Happy gardening friends!

Tash and Family