(The Huffington Post Reports) While composting has become more mainstream, not everyone has access to the space necessary for the maintenance of a composting bin.
Apartment dwellers and residents who live in condominium developments that have more rules than sense are a few examples of where composting is logistically difficult. And while more municipalities are allowing food waste to be included in green waste, that practice still has a while to scale. But a composting process with origins in Korea and now used in Japan for 30 years offers an option for the sustainable disposal of food waste.
Bokashi is a method of composting that can work for people who already live as green as possible in their small space but have no option to eliminate those pesky food scraps.
Bokashi composting is an effective, seamless and quick way to compost food waste in one’s home. In Japanese, Bokashi means “fermented organic matter.” Technically, the process is more fermentation than actual composting. Bokashi uses a particular group of microorganisms to anaerobically break down food waste. One advantage of the Bokashi system is that it can break down foods like meat, fish and dairy products that not only give off a rancid smell, but take a long time to break down. If done correctly, Bokashi can result in compost in as little as two weeks, depending on the local climate and soil biology.
Give Your Trash Can a Break: Wow, I Can Compost That?
Another key to Bokashi’s success in the creation of compost is the wheat bran that is included in a composting kit. When opening the bag, the bran smells sweet like molasses. That sweetness soon turns into a mild pickled oder that is barely noticeable. Furthermore, the entire process occurs in an enclosed bin, which not only prevents odors from leaking, but also prevents rodents and other pests like insects from stealing your compost for dinner.
SOURCE: THE HUFFINGTON POST from Earth911
by Leon King
