Composting and wormeries are ideal for disposing of organic vegetable matter and producing a useful end product.
However, there are distinct disadvantages to disposing of meat, fish and dairy products in the same way. Principally
the problem is one of smells and the unpleasant nature of putrifaction, the decaying of meat! It can also attract flies,
pests and vermin.
However, if we are to dispose of all food and garden waste ourselves we need a more pleasant solution for meat disposal.
Bokashi (or Pro-biotic Composting)
Bokashi is the use of micro organisms in the break down of organic meat and dairy products. Rather like yeast breaks
down sugars to produce alcohol, these micro organisms take the waste through more of a fermentation process than putrifaction.
The micro organisms are supplied in a bran based medium which is layered with your food waste in a sealed airtight bucket.
Left for at least two weeks the waste will be sufficiently broken down to enable it to be placed in a normal composter or
even buried in the ground, without the usual unpleasant side effects. Ideally you should also drain off any liquid
produced.
By keeping two buckets in or close to your kitchen you can keep a Bokashi system going to dispose of all your organic
materials.
Food Digestion
An alternative is to compost meat and dairy products in the usual way but at higher temperatures and in a more enclosed
environment. Food digesters take solely kitchen waste and the action leaves only little by product.
Food digesters use the aerobic actions of micro organisms to break down food waste into water, carbon dioxide and a
small amount of residue. Temperature and air circulation is key to the growth of these beneficial micro organisms.
They extend below the ground and therefore need a free draining soil. On clay soils or when the water table is high
they should be sited in raised beds. Unlike normal compost bins, digesters should be placed in direct sunlight to help
increase temperature.
The leachate is good for plants providing a rich mix of essential elements.
