52 Ways to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint – 13. Bokashi – A New Mindset

OK, so maybe Bokashi isn’t actually a secret organisation of martial artists working to protect our world.

It may actually be more important.

Bokashi is actually an ancient Japanese method, converting food and organic wastes into a potent natural fertiliser. Whilst similar in nature to composting, there are a few subtle differences which we can run through in this article.

Bokashi was originally devised by Japanese farmers many centuries ago. By using microorganisms, the farmers are essentially fermenting their waste. This fermented waste is then buried and within a month becomes highly enriched soil, suitable for growing. A complete organic solution, for free (ish).

The best thing is that Bokashi, unlike composting, can be done in your home. You no longer need to collect rotting scraps of food in your back garden waiting months for it to compost, stinking the place out. You just keep a container under your sink until you are ready to bury it. This means anyone can do it and we all should!

If we discard food scraps to landfill

•  Food waste makes up almost 40% of all domestic waste.
• When this food waste decomposes at the municipal waste it produces a lot of methane due to anaerobic decomposition. This creates methane, a greenhouse gas 10x more potent than CO2.
• Over 17% of all methane gasses released in the USA are from landfill sites.

If we Bokashi our own scraps at home

• The decomposing process will be aerobic and will produce no methane.
• This is an 85% reduction in emissions! 
• You receive, for free, organic super potent compost for your veggies and flowers.

How Do I Do It?

Pretty simple really, there are 4 easy steps.

1. Throw away your food and other organic scraps into a suitable container (Must be airtight). You can throw away anything except bones and egg shells!
2. Spray the food with the microorganisms accelerator. You can buy practically everywhere now or make yourself, but there are a few links below if you want to find some.
3. Drain the excessive liquids, which can then be used as a super fertiliser.
4. Bury and mix the waste with your soil. The mix will be ready to plant after around 6 weeks. Get ready to super charge your garden!

Here is a great video with a bit more detail.

If you don’t want to make your own you can buy a kit and I have included a few links below.

• Australia – Bokashi Composting Australia
• Taiwan and other International – Bokashi Living
• UK – Living Soil UK
• USA – Sunwood Life Bokashi Compost Kit

Good luck and remember that if you do this you will be reducing your waste by up to 40% and decreasing carbons emissions significantly. Very cool.

There are so many ways in which we can help reduce our environmental footprint but with so much going on it is hard sometimes to remember. Rather than remember, the best way is to form a habit and the best way to form a habit is by utilising the 3 R’s:

1. Reminder (the trigger that initiates the behavior)
2. Routine (the behavior itself; the action you take)
3. Reward (the benefit you gain from doing the behavior)

Each week, for 52 weeks, we will post a new idea to help you reduce your waste and work towards a cleaner less polluted lifestyle. Hopefully, by the end, some of the idea’s will become habitual and stick with you forever. Consider this to be your gift to the world.

#reducewaste #environmentalfootprint #onebrownplanet