In excess of 5 million tonnes of food waste is disposed of in South Africa each year. This figure relates to households, corporate canteens and hospitality section only. A further 10 million tonnes is disposed from up-stream activities including farm excess, logistics and processing.
90% of food waste goes to landfill sites.
The food waste, when not treated, generates methane and leachate in landfills.
Leachates contaminate the ground water, and methane is a greenhouse gas, 84 times more harmful than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period; contributing significantly to global warming.
Untreated food waste attracts vermin which spread disease.
- 12 – 14 million people are food insecure in SA.
- If we recycle our kitchen waste we can produce healthy compost for organic vegetable gardening.
- Using the Bokashi system highlights how much food we waste and forces us to analyse why there is so much waste.
- Bokashi is a Japanese term that means “fermented organic matter.”
- Bokashi is bran that has been infused with effective micro-organisms / pro-biotics. (Yeast, phototropic, and lactic acid bacteria)
- Higher crop yields;
- Improved soil structure, leading to better aeration and water holding capacity.
- Improved nutrient availability, leading to lower chemical fertilizer requirements and higher organic fertilizer utilization of Bokashi food waste.
- Lower disease pressure by developing a disease suppressive soil.
- Lower requirements for pesticides.
- Improved quality of plants.
