Where does our food waste go?
Wheelie Bin?
From Cities
Creative commons license from auntyemily
Landfill Site?
Creative commons license from auntyemily
Wormery?
Paper and Cardboard Bedding
Collect our food waste
Feed the worms on our food waste
Composting worm
Dendrobaena
Cocoons
Pot worms
Worms at work
School wormery
Worm facts
• Compost Worms live on the forest floor in the top layer
of soil.
• They recycle dead leaves and plants into compost for
other plants.
• They do not like light.
• They need moisture all the time.
• Breathe through their skin.
• They do not like being handled.
• They have five hearts.
• Both parents lay cocoons.
• Each cocoon contains about four babies.
Worms need
• Bedding to live in like wet cardboard and
paper or horse manure.
• Food like kitchen scraps, food waste or garden
waste.
• Moisture in their bedding and food.
• Protection from predators like moles, birds
and mice.
Recycling
• Worms can turn large amounts of waste food,
paper, cardboard and many other types of
waste into rich and nutritious compost.
• This reduces the amount of waste going into
landfill sites.
Worm Compost
• Worm compost is very rich and a valuable
food source for plants.
• Plants grow strong, healthy and have greater
resistance to disease.
• Healthy soil and plants means no need for
chemicals.
Instructions
Bedding
• Bedding is what the worms live in but they will also eat
it and eventually turn it into compost, so it has to be
renewed eventually. A good clean bedding material is
waste paper and cardboard that has been
shredded/torn and then soaked in water. The material
should then be allowed to drain until no more water
emerges. When a handful is squeezed, some drips
should still run out.
• Bedding should be kept loose which allows plenty of air
to reach the worms. The top 10cms – 15cms layer can
be lightly turned with a fork to maintain this.
Insulation
• If the worms freeze, they will die. If the bedding
freezes, they cannot use it and if their food freezes
then they cannot eat it. Some basic insulation will
avoid these problems. The wooden walls of the box
provide insulation along with the carpet over the
bedding which is adequate for most of the year.
However, during the coldest part of the winter,
additional measures can be taken to avoid problems.
Layers of corrugated cardboard can be laid on top of
the carpet to help trap some warm air and to keep the
frost off. Dead leaves can be added under the carpet
and the worms will eventually consume them.
Food
• A shallow trench should be made in the bedding to take the
food which can then be covered over. This allows the
worms to access the food from above as well as below. The
food should be moist before being used so add water if
necessary.
• Not all waste foods are suitable so pay attention to what is
added. Generally, fatty, oily and dairy foods are to be
avoided.
• Feed small quantities on a regular basis. This allows the
worms to clean up the last helping before more is added
and avoids the bed turning sour or becoming overheated.
Feed the worms:
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Fruit and vegetable peelings
Stale or mouldy bread
Crushed eggshells
Coffee grounds and paper filters
Tea bags
Garden waste like grass clippings and leaves
(in small amounts)
• Shredded paper waste
Do not feed the worms:
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•
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Do not feed the worms:
Meat, fish and bones
Citrus fruit peel
Garlic and onion
Dairy products
Greasy foods
Schools in the cluster are taking part in a project called WORMS WORK which will help us
all reduce our food waste and produce rich compost for the garden.
To allow the school to collect important information about the food waste that we
produce, we are asking you, as a family, to fill in this form and return it to school after
your trial week is complete. By taking part, you will be helping the school to gather
evidence towards green flag status.
Thank You.
Name:
DAY
1
Class:
DESCRIPTION
Starting Date:
WEIGHT(kgs)
2
Please use this form to record your food waste details:
How to use this form:
3
Weights -Over the course of a week, weigh all the food waste that would normally be put
into your green bin and enter the weights (in kgs) on the form for each day. You can put
the waste into a plastic bag and use kitchen or bathroom scales.
4
Description-Have a look at this food waste before you put it into the bag and write down
what kind of food it is. (Potato peelings, tea bags, leftover pasta, chicken bones etc.)
5
At the end of each day, just dispose of the food as you normally would do.
6
Enter the days of the week, weights and description on the form everyday for one week
then return the completed form to school.
7
The WORMS WORK project has secured funding from the Climate Challenge Fund to
provide wormery kits, made from locally sourced Larch, to families and schools in the
Dunbar and East Linton area to help us all reduce carbon and our food waste going into
landfill sites. A small donation of £20 is suggested to help cover the cost of materials and
manufacture.
If you would like a wormery or just some more information, please fill in your contact
details.
I would like more information.
Name:
I would like to give a worm box a home.
Address:
Phone:
The school will be the main source of information, and will hold Wormery Workshops to
help anyone with questions or problems they might have. By taking part in the project
you are helping to support the Curriculum For Excellence and Eco Schools projects. There
is already a WORMS WORK website www.ourlocality.org/wormswork/ that will grow and
develop with the project. Web participation and competition is encouraged.
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