Bokashi Composting

Compost all food waste and make compost faster

Bokashi, is an alternative type of composting to the more traditional garden compost bin. It’s a very different practice, but is fun and speeds up the composting process which can make it more fulfilling.

The method involves, placing all your food waste into fully sealed containers, and sprinkling the all important ‘Bokashi Bran’ over it before sealing the container.

Every few days you will need to open the tap at the bottom of the bucket and drain off the juice that is created. The great news is that this juice is plant food when diluted with a bit of water.

When the bucket is full, leave it outside for 4-6 weeks, and in the end you can use the organic matter as fertiliser and mulch. Of course, you should have two buckets, so you are filling up a new bucket whilst the full one is fermenting.

The three main benefits of Bokashi Composting are:

• The food waste can take just 4-6 weeks to turn to useful compost that can be used in your garden. So, for avid gardeners, who like to mulch (cover with organic matter) their plants are in for a winner with Bokashi, you get more compost, quicker.

• You can add ALL food waste to your Bokashi bin. That’s right - all food waste! For those into a zero-waste lifestyle, you can tick the box in reducing your food waste to 0%.

• Bokashi bins/buckets are fully sealed, so they don’t give off any odours. This means no fruit flies! This is brilliant with small gardens and even those who live in flats.

With all of the above information, what’s the catch? The good news is there is no catch at all! You will choose Bokashi, because of those benefits, and any work or expense will surely be deemed worth it. Let’s consider going down the Bokashi route...

Cost:
A two bin Bokashi composting set, with a starter pack of the bran costs around £60. This is x3 the cost of the cheapest garden compost bin, but probably not a deal breaker for someone who can see the benefits of this composting method.

You do also need to factor in the cost of the Bokashi Bran. This bran costs £15-25 for a 3kg pack. If we estimate using 20 grams per day, then you need 6kg per year which is £30-£50 per year. You will of course be saving on a few bags of compost a year, as opposed to maybe one bag every 1-2 years with normal garden composting. Potentially the extra cost can be made up in savings!

Effort:‍
You will be putting more effort into composting, but really, it’s good, rewarding fun! The extra effort of draining the bucket, gives you plant food. The extra work pays off in food for your plants. And you love your plants!

Buy a Bokashi Bin Set from Compost Guy

Review

I have been absolutely amazed at the effects of using the Bokashi Bin: it does exactly what it says it will do. Putting all my food waste in the Bokashi bin means that I empty my waste bin every 10 days instead of 3x in 10 days! (I already recycle paper, card, plastic, glass, etc.) My waste bin no longer smells or leaks because there is no organic matter in it. The Bokashi bin is ideal to use in my flat as I have family nearby who welcome the first bin to add to their compost whilst I use the second bin. This has been a revelation and a life-changer for me. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Thanks for the advice, Compost Guy! Rosie, Sheffield

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