Organic
recycling
at home
Managing resources for a
sustainable future – learn how
to recycle organic waste in your
own home.
“The �round’s �enerosity takes in
our compost and �rows beauty!
Try to be more like the �round.”
- Rumi
Contents
Throwing away so much is a waste
2
Composting4
II
Worm farming
7
Bokashi bins
10
Easy tips for more recycling
12
1
Three types of organic recycling
There are many ways for us to recycle our organic
waste at home. This booklet focuses on three
common recycling systems – composting, worm
farming and bokashi bins.
The organic recycling system which will work best
for your household will depend on a number of
Throwing away so much is
a waste!
Waste is a growing concern around the world –
especially in rapidly expanding cities like ours.
Each year on the Gold Coast we ‘bury’ enough waste in landfills
to completely fill more than 1500 Olympic sized swimming pools.
Throwing away so much is a waste considering over half of this
could be recycled into free, top quality soil conditioner and fertiliser.
avoid
recycle
Another quarter of the waste thrown into landfill could
be recycled in the yellow top recycle bins.
Worm farming
Bokashi bin
What you get
Fertiliser
Soil conditioner
Fertiliser
Liquid fertiliser
Soil conditioner
Fertiliser
Liquid fertiliser
Soil conditioner
Eco friendly drain cleaner
Suitable for
Homes with yards (small to large)
All dwelling types including units,
townhouses and duplexes
All dwelling types that have access
to an area for burying waste
General
benefits
Soil conditioner – for improved texture
and moisture retention.
Fertiliser – to provide essential
plant nutrients.
Takes large volumes of garden and
kitchen waste.
Soil conditioner – for improved
texture and moisture retention.
Fertiliser – to provide essential
plant nutrients.
Takes moderate volumes of
kitchen waste.
Soil conditioner.
Fertiliser.
Takes kitchen waste including food
that other systems won’t.
Can be kept indoors as no smell
or insects.
Location
Set up on a level area of soil.
Place in a sunny spot.
Within easy access to the kitchen.
In shady spot within easy access
to the kitchen.
Handy to keep in the kitchen.
Keep out of direct sun.
Can be stored inside or outside.
What can be
recycled
Fruit and vegetables
Cut flowers and prunings
Grass cuttings
Leaves and garden sweepings
Coffee grounds
Tea leaves and bags
Vacuum cleaner dust
Fruit and vegetables (excluding
citrus, chilli, garlic, onions).
Rice, pasta, bread.
Tea leaves.
Coffee grounds.
All food waste can be put into a
bokashi bin including meat, fish,
cooked foods and dairy.
A new compost bin can range between
$50 and $500.
A new worm farm can range
between $70 and $300.
Worms can range between
$30 and $60 per 1000.
A bokashi system can start
from $60 including bokashi
microbes (EM).
Ongoing costs – microbes start
at around $15 per 1.5 kilogram.
recover
To protect our enviable lifestyle, economy and diverse environment,
we need to continue to find ways to rethink our waste.
dispose
By following the waste heirarchy displayed on the right, we
can all rethink waste and reduce our reliance on landfills.
Or�anic recyclin� at home is
fun, simple, economical and
healthy for the environment,
as well as us – and reduces
the need for more landfills.
2
This booklet is full of great advice on why and
how to set up an organic recycling system to suit
any household, from those with big backyards
through to homes with small patios and balconies.
Let’s share the responsibility to better
manage our waste and reap the benefits
that come with it! This booklet provides
the basic steps to help you get started.
Having all three systems working together gives the
greatest benefits as it results in most households
having no organic waste being sent to landfill.
Composting
reduce
reuse
factors including but not limited to: how much
space you have; how much organic waste your
household produces; and your budget.
Costs
3
Composting
Why compost? More than half the waste in the
average household green lidded bin is kitchen
and garden waste and most of this can be
composted. Composting produces a nutrient
rich fertiliser for our gardens and improves the
condition of our soil. It also reduces waste going
into our landfill and the resulting greenhouse
gases that are generated.
The best part of all is that composting is a natural
process and it happens everywhere. It’s faster
with our help and slower without it, but either way
it will happen so give it a go. . . it’s easy!
How does it work?
The process of composting involves
micro-organisms (like bacteria and fungi) and
macro organisms (like worms and beetles). These
organisms work with natural conditions such as
heat and moisture to decompose organic material
until it is changed to humus, which is organic
material broken down so much that it cannot
break down any further. Humus is the most refined
and ultimate form of compost which provides
steady nutrients to plant and microbial life whilst
rejuvenating the soil.
Brown organics
What not to compost
•
For your safety avoid rose or prickly conifer
prunings and other thorny garden waste.
•
Meat and dairy scraps, animal fat,
bread or cake – these can attract rodents.
•
Compounds that are hard to handle
or can kill mirco-organisms in your
compost – fat, oil, salt, disinfectants,
antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides.
•
Glossy magazines.
•
Treated wood products.
•
Animal droppings from any animals
that eat meat – cat and dog
droppings can spread disease.
•
Septic tank sludge or toilet waste.
•
Waste that doesn’t decompose
– for example metals, glass and plastics.
Carbon rich material (browns)
• Straw.
• Dry brown seedless weeds.
• Leaves and garden sweepings.
• Shredded newspaper.
•
Weeds with seeds, underground
stems or bulbs.
•
Diseased plant material
(put these in the bin).
• Dry grass clippings.
• Wood chips, wood shavings and sawdust.
• Shrub prunings.
• Pizza boxes.
Green organics
Nitrogen rich material (greens)
• Kitchen organics – fruit and vegetable
scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells, tea
leaves and tea bags, wilted flowers and
pot plants.
• Garden organics – grass cuttings, non
woody garden prunings, green leaves,
flowers, non-toxic weeds without seeds.
• Animal manure – horse, chicken or cow
and from pets that don’t eat meat
(guinea pigs and rabbits).
How to compost at home
1. Choose a bin – There are many varieties of
store bought compost bins that are available or
if you feel like being creative you can make your
own out of an old bin.
2. Prepare bin – Choose a level area in the
garden where it will get direct sunlight for much
of the day and in a position that is accessible
and convenient to the kitchen. Place the bin on
an area of soil to encourage organisms such as
worms and beetles to take up residence and
fill the bottom of the bin with a layer of coarse
material, such as sticks or twigs, to allow for air
flow and drainage.
3. Add your organic waste – A mixture of brown
(carbon rich) materials and green (nitrogen rich)
materials should be added to the bin. Green
ingredients help the good bacteria reproduce
and brown ingredients give the bacteria energy.
Each time you add some green materials, cover
it with a layer of brown materials.
Tip: A heap of dried out grass clippings and leaves are
handy for layering. Safety tip: When composting, ensure
that the compost pile and ingredients are not too dry, use
gloves and you may prefer to wear a mask.
4
4. Turn regularly – The contents in your bin
should be turned regularly to allow enough air
for the bacteria to thrive and to make better
compost quickly. Ensure material is turned
into the hottest part of the heap to destroy
most weed seeds and pathogens (disease
causing organisms).
Lack of air in the compost may slow the
breaking down process, produce bad
smells and create methane which is a potent
greenhouse gas.
5. Keep compost moist – Your compost should
be as moist as a wrung out sponge. To test,
grab a handful and squeeze it, a few drops
means it has enough moisture, otherwise
add water.
If it’s too wet, the compost will be heavy and
clumpy, air won’t get in and composting will be
slow, which could create smells.
For even water distribution, use a watering
can while turning the pile. During dry weather,
a cover and regular watering may be needed.
Towards the end of the composting period,
moisture decreases and it feels like rich soil.
5
Using compost
How long will it take?
When your compost has matured into humus and
is ready to use it will be crumbly, almost black and
have an earthy smell. It’s perfect for garden beds
as a mulch or soil improver, spreading on lawns or
as a component in potting mixes. Compost that is
stored uncovered can lose nutrients so use it up
when it’s ready or store in bags, containers or in
a covered pile.
This will depend on a variety of factors for
example, the type and size of the compost and its
ingredients, moisture levels, frequency of turning
and the temperature.
Problem
Why
What to do
Ants
Compost is too dry, or has too
much brown material.
The material needs aerating.
Add more moisture
Add more green (nitrogen rich) material
Aerate the compost
The compost is too cold
They are interested in cooked food
If only a few – leave them to do their work.
Aerate the compost.
Ensure compost bin has access to the sun for heat.
Ensure that cooked food is always buried in the heap
and not left on surface.
Compost is too cold.
Not enough mini beast action
(i.e. micro and macro organisms).
Needs activating.
Too dry.
Ensure bin is located in a sunny spot.
Keep the lid on your bin or cover your bay with hessian bags, carpet,
thick cardboard etc.
Aerate more regularly.
Innoculate by adding a handful of compost from another pile or your
worm farm.
Add the contents of your bokashi bin.
Add in some nettles, comfrey, chicken or cow manure.
Water the compost evenly.
Add in some green (nitrogen rich) materials.
Fruit flies
Attracted by fruit and
vegetables in the heap.
Not enough ‘brown’
(carbon rich) material.
Cover fruit and vegetables with a layer of soil, grass cuttings,
cardboard (e.g. pizza boxes) or newspaper.
Add more brown material (carbon rich).
Rats
The compost is undisturbed.
Too much brown material.
Cooked food, meat, fish or dairy
scraps in heap.
Easy access.
Aerate the heap.
Check moisture levels and add water and/or ‘green’ materials.
Do not put meat, fish and dairy into compost.
Always bury cooked food in the pile.
Put mesh or a ‘compost base plate’ at the base of the heap.
Too much green material
Too much water
Not enough air in the compost
Add ‘browns’ to the mix, e.g. cardboard, shredded newspaper,
sawdust or straw to soak up excess moisture.
Cover the compost particularly in wet weather.
Aerate the heap.
Cockroaches –
some are healthy as
they are contributing
to the decomposition
process
Compost is not
doing anything
Too wet
6
Worm farming
Another way to recycle your organic material is
to have a worm farm. Worm farms will give you a
constant supply of great liquid fertiliser commonly
called ‘worm juice’ or ‘worm tea’ and a rich soil
conditioner and fertiliser called ‘vermicast’ or
‘worm castings’.
Worm farms use special types of worms called
compost worms. Compost worms differ from
garden worms in that they consume large
quantities of organic matter. Compost worms
won’t work in a garden soil and garden worms will
not work in a worm farm. A two tiered worm farm
can reach a worm population of up to 20,000. This
is enough to consume roughly five kilos of organic
matter every day, the average amount of organic
waste from a family of four.
How to set up and use a worm
farm at home
1. Find a worm farm – You can buy a new
worm farm from a hardware store or garden
centre or find a second hand one. You can
save even more waste and money by making
your own out of plastic crates, bathtubs or
polystyrene fruit boxes.
2. Prepare the worm farm – Before adding
worms to your new worm farm, you have
to prepare their bed. The right bedding is
important – it should be light, fluffy and moist.
A block of coir coconut fibre (which often
comes with a new farm) or a mixture of mature
compost, shredded wet paper or chopped
straw make excellent bedding materials. Soak
the bedding mix and wring out till only a few
drops of moisture remain and place in the
worm farm before adding the worms. Their
skins are sensitive and can be damaged by
rough or dry beds.
3. Purchase your worms – Remember only
specific types of worms can be used due to the
well nourished and moist environment provided
by the worm farm. There are three main types
of composting worms, Tigers, Blues, and Reds.
You can purchase composting worms from
your local supplier (Google: composting worms
Gold Coast), gardening store, or online. If you
know someone who already has a worm farm,
they may be able to provide you with enough to
get you started. You can start your worm farm
with as few as 1000 worms.
4. Feed your worms – Compost worms must
have food to thrive and as they have no teeth,
they prefer soft, mushy or at least partially
decomposed food to eat. The smaller and
softer the food pieces, the faster your worms
will be able to eat it. Add food every few days
in small amounts and increase the volume as
needed. As worm numbers grow, so does their
appetite. To judge the feeding rate, supply food
for a few days, when it’s almost gone, add
more.
Do not overfeed the worms. The uneaten
food will rot and create a smelly worm farm
and result in acidic conditions that the worms
don’t like. Excess food can be frozen and then
thawed when needed.
7
Suitable worm food
Unsuitable worm food
• Most fruit and vegetable scraps
(excluding citrus, onions, chilli, garlic).
• Dairy and oily products.
• Moist cardboard and paper.
• Citrus, onions, chilli or garlic.
• Cooked food scraps e.g. rice and pasta.
• Meat, bones and poultry.
• Ground wheat, corn or flours.
• Seafood.
• Flowers, leaves and dried grass
clippings (in small amounts).
• Cat and dog manure.
• Tea and coffee grounds.
• Salty or highly spiced food.
• Manure from wormed animals.
• Human and animal hair.
Worm feeding tips
• Spray dry ingredients before adding.
• Break food into small pieces.
• Regularly add crushed eggshell, dolomite or
garden lime to the area of the worm farm to
balance pH and to avoid calcium deficiency
in worms.
• To prevent insects, fruit flies or mould, cover
fresh food with hessian, newspaper sheets,
cardboard, old carpet or wrap scraps in
newspaper before adding.
Using the worm castings and worm juice
Castings are worm manure, a nutrient rich earth
like substance, similar to compost. Castings are
ready to be removed when the material is ‘earthy’
in consistency. Often mixed with soil to make it a
little easier to spread, worm castings are perfect
for planting out seedlings, boosting garden plants
(vegetables, flowers, fruit trees), amending poor
soils, top-dressing lawns or, small amounts can be
used to enrich potting mixes.
If used to top dress garden beds or pot plants,
casting should be covered with a layer of mulch to
prevent them from drying out.
8
To remove the castings from your worm
farm there are many methods; some of
the most common include:
a. Uncover the level of your worm farm you wish
to harvest – this is usually the middle level. The
worms will move down away from the light.
Scrape off the top layer once they move down
then repeat until you are left with a layer of worms
at the bottom to then add back to your farm.
b. Add watermelon or other food to one side
of the tray, leave for a day or two while the
worms move to the watermelon side, then
remove the castings.
c. Pile the castings into a pyramid shape on
newspaper or tarpaulin in a well lit area. The
worms will move to the centre of the pyramid
allowing you to scrape off the castings from the
sides. Continue this process until you are left
with a ball of worms and castings to add back
to your farm.
The worm juice is a great liquid fertiliser and
comes out from the tap in the farm almost
constantly. A great idea is to leave the tap open
with a watering can underneath it. You can then
dilute it down to the colour of weak tea to be used
as a liquid fertiliser on your plants. It can be used
as often as every day if you wish.
Problem
Why
Ants
Worm farm is too dry
Add water and some garden lime or dolomite
Stand worm farm legs in trays of water
Too much food.
Uncovered fresh
food scraps.
Feed smaller amounts.
Add dolomite, garden lime or egg shells.
Bury the food under the surface of the bedding.
Keep the surface covered with damp newspaper or
wrap scraps in newspaper before adding.
Fill a jar lid with vinegar and place it in one corner to
drown most of the flies.
Too much food with
high moisture content.
Rain is getting in.
Mix in some ‘dry’ bedding e.g. shredded newspaper
or cardboard to absorb the excess moisture.
Relocate to protect from the rain or provide additional cover
(take care to provide plenty of ventilation).
Leave the cover/lid off to dry up a little (but this may attract insects).
Fruit flies
Too wet
I have no one to
look after the
worms while I go
on holiday
What to do
Don’t worry, an established worm farm can be left for up to two months
Give the worms a good feed
Cover with a wet blanket, newspaper or hessian
Leave worms in a shady cool location
Leave the worm farm tap open
9
Bokashi bins
Bokashi bins are a great way to dispose of all
kitchen food scraps, including the things that are
not suitable for composts and worm farms like
meat, bones and left overs. Bokashi bins will even
take waste like prawn heads, left over lasagne
and the burnt remains from the unwatched roast.
Recycling food using a bokashi bin is not really
composting but is an anaerobic or airless method
of fermenting or pickling organic waste. This
process accelerates the breakdown of the waste
and creates nutrient rich fertiliser for your garden
in record time.
2. Purchase the bokashi and EM (effective
microbes) mix required – this normally comes
with a new bin and can also be purchased at a
gardening store or online. EM comes as a dry
cereal mix or a liquid spray. You can even make
your own! Look online for recipes.
Bokashi bins are also small enough to keep in a
handy location, including inside on the kitchen or
laundry bench.
4. After emptying the food scraps into the bokashi
bin, compress food down to remove as much
air as possible. This is normally done with a tool
that comes with the bin. A potato masher is
also a good alternative. Cover or spray the top
of the food with EM mix then refit the lid so that
the bin is now air tight.
How to set up a bokashi bin system
If you are using a bokashi bin system to recycle all
of your food scraps, it may be necessary to use
two bokashi bins to handle the volume of organic
waste. If you only produce a small amount of food
waste or are using the bokashi bin in addition to a
compost bin or worm farm you will most likely only
need one bin.
3. Sprinkle or spray the bottom of the bin with
EM mix then begin to add food scraps.
Tip: To avoid having to use EM mix every day,
keep food scraps in a container in the fridge,
and when full after a few days, empty into
bokashi bin.
5. Fill the bin with alternating layers of food scraps
and EM mix, until it is full.
How to set up and use a
bokashi bin at home
What can go in the bokashi bin?
1. Purchase or make your bokashi bin. New
bins can be bought from hardware stores,
garden centres or online. Second hand bins
can be found online. To save even more
money and waste, you can make your own bin
system. There are websites with step by step
instructions.
• All fruit and vegetable scraps
including citrus, onions, chilli and garlic.
• Cooked food scraps.
• Dairy products.
• Meat and meat products including
small bones.
Problem
7. After 14 days the contents of the bokashi bin
will need to be buried in soil or added to your
compost bin – small amounts can be added
to a worm farm. Much of the contents of the
bokashi bin will still be recognisable. The
decomposition process does not begin until the
food makes contact with soil or compost.
Why
• Small amounts of paper.
If you don’t have a garden you can mix the
bokashi bin contents with potting mix, at a ratio
of one part bokashi to four parts potting mix to
use for indoor planting. Make sure to leave six
weeks before adding plants to allow time for the
bokashi contents to finish breaking down.
What to do
Too wet:
Too much liquid being added bokashi juice
has not been drained.
Inner drainage tray was not in place.
Add more EM mix.
Compress contents well each time.
Ensure lid is on tight.
Save scraps up and only add to bokashi bin once per day.
Avoid putting liquids of any kind into bokashi
e.g. milk, tea and coffee dregs.
Drain juice frequently, depending on how wet your
ingredients are.
Make sure you have a drainage plate in your bin
and that it’s fitted securely before adding waste.
Normal beneficial microbial process
No action required
Black or bluegreen mould/
rotten smell
Fermenting process has failed.
This happens from time to time from too
much air or too much moisture for too long.
Dispose of contents, rinse out bin, wash
with mild soapy water and start again.
Dispose of the bokashi contents by digging a ditch at
least 30 centimetres deep, pour in three handfuls of
EM mix, pour bokashi contents onto EM mix, pour three
handfuls of EM mix on top of food, cover with soil.
No liquid coming
out of bucket
Using low moisture content ingredients like
high protein (meat) or high starch (breads).
As long as it smells fine, no action required.
Add moist waste such as fruit and vegetables.
Not enough EM mix
Starting to
smell bad
White mould
Too much air:
Contents not compressed enough; the lid
has not been put on air tight; or lid opened
too frequently.
• Fish and seafood.
• Tea bags (squeezed out) and
coffee grounds.
10
6. Once the bin is full, leave to ferment for
approximately 14 days. The bokashi juice
which you can collect while the contents are
fermenting can be used as a liquid fertiliser, but
it must be diluted down to ‘one part juice – 100
parts water’. The juice can even be used down
drains or in septic tanks, which will help to keep
the system healthy. While the bin is fermenting
you can begin to fill a second bin or give it a
really good dose of EM before the next step.
11
Easy tips for more recycling
Recycling bin
Garden waste
Do you run out of room before the recycling bin
is collected? If so, you may want to upsize the
recycling bin to a larger 360 litre recycling bin.
Having a larger recycling bin will ensure you can
always recycle:
If you have more garden waste than your compost
can handle you can order a green waste bin. The
green waste bin can recycle cut palm fronds, grass
clippings, garden prunings, leaves, small twigs and
branches.
• aluminium, steel and aerosol cans
To find out more and to order a green waste bin
visit cityofgoldcoast.com.au/recycling
• all paper items including envelopes, liquid
paper boxes (e.g. poppers, juice and milk
cartons), and magazines
• all plastic bottles and containers (including lids).
There is no need to rinse or wash your recyclables
before putting them in the yellow lid recycling bin.
To find out more or to upsize your bin today, visit
cityofgoldcoast.com.au/recycling
12
For information
CGC11359
P 1300 GOLDCOAST (1300 465 326)
Wcityofgoldcoast.com.au/recycling