Can there be too much food waste!

13 years ago

I just arrived on site for a permaculture project at a girls school in Nanyuki, Kenya. Everyday there is a 50 gal foodbin (more sometimes) filled with food scraps, (potato, carrot peels, cabbage cores etc.) I think it would be ideal for vermicompost but want to have an idea of what size bin to work with. I think a flow through design is necessary because there is more foodscrap being added everyday. With the fresh stuff being added everyday is there a worry for moisture loss? I will need to add paper or cardboard as well I know. Please give me an idead of what size of bin and any other factors I may be overlooking. Thank you very much

-Sean

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Comments (4)

PRO
equinoxequinox
13 years ago
Kenya? or vermicomposer Heaven? 50 gallons wow!

Summer camps here frequently have the children only take the food they will eat. Each table has a daily contest to see which generates the least waste by weight. That might cut way down on the waste.

Or is this kitchen waste before it is put on peoples plates?

Before worms, rabbits, chickens and pigs might benefit.

You are not going to be able to start out handling 50 gallons a day. It will take a while. I would think a 100 square foot bin would be required. That might be 3 or 4 inches of waste per day. You might want a regular compost system and just feed the worms the choisest parts for a while. Strawberry tops and mellon.
alabamanicole
13 years ago
I say start small with an educational bin and control the amount of food going in. As the girls learn what can and cannot go in worm bins, you can start putting bins right by the trash cans and have them separate their trash. Processing it all would be practically a worm farm -- which might be a worthwhile venture to raise money for the school?

I agree with EE that the scraps probably have a higher use feeding a pig or three, and then feed the pig manure to worms. (Provided, of course, this isn't an area with a lot of Muslims.)

Other options are a traditional compost pile and having them collected by a nearby farmer to supplement his livestock's diets. This could be temporary while the worms get going or an ongoing solution.
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PRO
equinoxequinox
13 years ago
Hermetia illucens, the black soldier fly (BSF)can help too.

It can get that 50 gallons of waste down to 3 gallons of stuff the worms should love. And the local chickens will love you. Trade for eggs.
mendopete
13 years ago
I agree with Eq, BSF / worms /chicken combo would be a great permaculture project!!! You would need over 100lbs of worms and a LARGE system to handle 50lbs+ daily, without BSF larvae or pre-composting first. I started with about 2 lbs of worms 13 months ago, and by contantly expanding my wormery into new compost piles, I currently estimate my herd at 50 lbs.. There is too much food waste (any is too much), but composting solves this problem. Good Luck! Pete