Consequence of Compost Bokashi Ingredients - Assignment Example

Abstract Waste management is a big problem for many countries especially those with underdeveloped infrastructure and high levels of poverty. This report examines the issue of waste disposal in Vietnam which is one of the poor countries in Asia. High populations, high levels of poverty and ignorance of the plight of the environment cause people to dispose off their wastes carelessly. People in the An Minh which is a heavily populated district, throw their wastes in water ways, adjacent vacant building, burry them or burn them. This makes the environment sick. In this report some ways of solving this problem have been discussed including education and composting. In education waste management could be integrated in the curriculum and students involves at different levels in the program. Composting could be done in other ways but the bokashi method is recommended for the Vietnam case. Bokashi composting needs the bokashi bucket and bokashi mix which is mixed with kitchen wastes inside the bucket to ferment. Juice and compost are the resultant products which are then used on the farm. This method can be good for An Minh district because of its high amounts of rice production. Table of contents Abstract……………………………………….……………………………………. 1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………….. 3 Benefits of bokashi composting…………………………………………………... 3 Composting materials…………………………………………………………….. 3 Procedure…………………………………………………………………………. 4 Steps in bokashi composting……………………………………………………… 4 Burying the wastes……………………………………………………………….. 5 Putting the juice to use in the garden and the home……………………………… 6 Bokashi from rice wastes in An Minh…………………………………………… 6 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….. 7 References……………………………………………………………………….. 8 Introduction Bokashi is a term used to refer to a type of compost made in Vietnam from plant materials. The process of making the compost is accomplished through the use of food wastes (Earth Basic 2012). The composting process is done with the use of a certain bokashi mix and a bucket to produce compost and a certain kind of juice. The bucket and the mix are useful because the process does not have odours that are common in putrefaction and decomposition. This report will present a discussion on the production of bokashi from food wastes in Vietnam. Benefits of Bokashi composting Bokashi composting is a very beneficial process because it composts all the wastes from the kitchen in a very hygienic way. The process eliminates the nuisance of insects and bad odours. The process also makes it easy for the wastes to be kept within the building. To add to this, the process is fast and only takes weeks to be completed. The amount of food wastes taken to the landfill is therefore reduced considerably (Haug 2002, 77). The process of decomposition does not produce any greenhouse gases such as methane. The juice produced through the bokashi composting process can be used when cleaning waterways because it reduces the growth of algae. It also lowers the carbon footprint. The compost makes soil richer with microbes since the microorganisms make soil healthier. When using the juice there is no need for purchasing fertilizer. The ability of soil to hold water also goes up (Earth Basics 2012). Composting materials All kinds of kitchen waste can be composted in the bokashi process. The bokashi process is a big benefit because it consumes all kitchen wastes as opposed to worm farms and the traditional composting methods. However the bokashi system of composting may not do well with large amounts of liquid and big bones. Some of the kitchen wastes that can be decomposed in the bokashi process include fruits and vegetables, foods that have been prepared, fish and meat that has been cooked, eggs, dairy products, bread, coffee grinds, wilted flowers and tea bags among others (Earth Basics 2012). Procedure The bokashi bucket is used to hold the mix and the food waste. The process of fermentation kicks off because of the microorganisms and the air tight state of the container. There is no decomposition although the volume of the materials is greatly reduced as the water drains away from the bucket. The bokashi juice that drains out has many microorganisms and is useful in the garden or home. More waste is added to the bucket until it is full then the waste is taken out to be buried under the soil for the process of composting to be completed. Since there are many microorganisms in the bakashi mix, the breakdown of the wastes takes place rapidly. Composting accelerates when done the bokashi way. The soil gets a lot of nutrients and life from the bokashi compost since microorganisms are present in large numbers (Cooper 2010, 55). Steps in bokashi composting In the setting up the bokashi composting process, the first step in to put the plastic grate close to the bottom of the bucket. The tap should be off and the knob positioned upright. The next step is to put the kitchen waste inside the bucket and then spread the bokashi mix on top of each of the layers of the waste. Every single cup of kitchen waste should be mixed with one tablespoon of mix. A bigger quantity of the bokashi mix will be appropriate when the wastes being decomposed have more of foods with high protein content such as eggs, meat, cheese and fish. The lid to the bucket should be tightly closed all the time. The tap at the bottom of the bokashi bucket should be used to drain the bokashi juice regularly. This process of making layers should be done over and over again until the bucket becomes full. When the bokashi bucket is full, it can be emptied and the wastes buried under the soil. After emptying the bucket it must be washed before the process begins all over again. If there is an extra bokashi bucket, the process can be initiated in the second bucket as the wastes in the first bucket continue to ferment. In the mean time the bokashi juice needs regular removal and therefore draining should be done at regular intervals (Earth Basics 2012). Burying the wastes The hole for burying the wastes should be around 20 to 25 cm deep. When the hole is ready it is time to add the wastes mixed with soil. When the waste is fully covered with the soil it should be left there since the soil will continuously gain the nutrients at the microbial level. If the garden is well established one should dig a hole around the crops or in between the lines of tress. The compost should not be too close to tender plant roots because they could suffer a burning effect from the heat in the compost (Cooper, 2010, 66). The compost has a high acidic content at the time it is placed in the hole but a process of neutralization can be complete with 7 to 10 days. One needs to take two weeks before using the compost for planting. Sometimes there may be no space for digging holes every other time the bucket fills up. If this is the 0063ase it is good to make a compost heap where the wastes will be buried. When the process of decomposition is complete and the wastes are totally decomposed it is ready to be used as top soil. The bokashi wastes may also be put in the conventional compost bin. The juice discharged from the bokashi bucket in terms of quantity depends on the type of wastes put in the bucket. There is therefore no reason for concern if the bokashi bucket fails to produce any juice or produces very little. When fruits and vegetables are present in the bucket, the quantity of juice produced is higher. Too much of the bokashi mix however may result in very low juice production. One should never unscrew the tap to more than three quarters of the turn. A skewer may come in handy for cleaning the bucket whenever the tap blocks (Cooper 2010, 90). Putting the juice to use in the garden and the home Before bokashi juice is used inside the garden it should be properly diluted. Very good fertilizer comes from bokashi juice because it has a lot of nutrients originating in the food waste and it has so many microorganisms as well. In order to add fertilizer to a garden or a pot, between 2 and 3 liters of water is added to a tea spoon of the bokashi juice and then applied to the soil directly. Trees and shrubs need 2 tea spoons should be diluted with between 2 and 3 liters of water. The leaves should not come into direct contact with the fertilizer (Davies 2011, 123). The bokashi juice can also be used in the home for cleaning water ways. When this is the case the user should apply the juice directly to the septic systems, toilets and the drains in the bathroom and kitchen. The juice helps to tackle the odour problem as well as the growth of algae. The juice cleans the water ways when the good bacteria enter into competition with bad bacteria and over power them. Bokashi juice is easily perishable and it cannot be stored beyond 24 hours of being collected from the bucket. It should be used immediately (Smith 2011, 89). Bokashi from rice wastes in An Minh Vietnam produces a lot of rice from many of its districts. An Minh district is one of the districts in Vietnam where huge quantities if rice are produced. The district is found in the Mekong Delta within Kien Giang province of Vietnam. The fertile flood plains in An Minh make it ideal for large scale production of rice. This means that there are large quantities of plant wastes from the rice each harvesting season. The left over cooked rice could also serve as waste to be put in the bucket. Given that rice is produced in large quantities in the An Minh district the high production of plant wastes from the rice is useful since the wastes can be used in the bokashi process to produce the bokashi juice and compost (Alez 2012, 45). Conclusion Proper methods of waste disposal are very important especially places where waste generation is at a high rate. When waste generation is poor it affects the health of the environment and those living in that environment. In Vietnam, a country is South East Asia, this is the case. Poverty levels make waste collected services inaccessible and therefore waste is thrown in water ways and surrounding lands. In particular, the An Minh district of Vietnam has a huge waste management problem. As a result the environment is unhealthy because of the poor disposal of waste. A possible solution to this problem is to introduce waste management into the education system. The bokashi composting process which uses the bakashi bucket and mix could be a good solution to the waste management dilemma. Kitchen wastes when placed in the bucket and sealed tightly ferment to produce bokashi juice and compost which are used to enrich gardens. The bokashi process is a very beneficial one that can be adopted in Vietnam especially in the An Minh district to help the problem of waste disposal. Bibliography Alez, G. (2012). The Importance of Compost Ingredients, Uses, Bokashi composting, Industrial composting Systems and More. Routledge. Cooper, E. (2010). The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A-Z. Cengage. Davies, S. (2011). Composting inside out: The Comprehensive Guide to re-using Trash, Saving Money and Enjoying the Benefits of Organic Gardening. Oxford. Earth Basics (2012). Bokashi One Kitchen Composting System. Retrieved 21 Sept. 2012 from http://www.bokashi.com.au/how-does-it-work/bokashi-juice/ Haug, R.T., (2002). Practical Handbook of Compost Engineering. Lewis Publishers. Smith K. (2011). How to Build, Maintain and Use a Compost System: Secrets and Techniques you need to Know to Grow the Best Vegetables. John Wiley and Sons. Read More

Steps in bokashi composting In the setting up the bokashi composting process, the first step in to put the plastic grate close to the bottom of the bucket. The tap should be off and the knob positioned upright. The next step is to put the kitchen waste inside the bucket and then spread the bokashi mix on top of each of the layers of the waste. Every single cup of kitchen waste should be mixed with one tablespoon of mix. A bigger quantity of the bokashi mix will be appropriate when the wastes being decomposed have more of foods with high protein content such as eggs, meat, cheese and fish.

The lid to the bucket should be tightly closed all the time. The tap at the bottom of the bokashi bucket should be used to drain the bokashi juice regularly. This process of making layers should be done over and over again until the bucket becomes full. When the bokashi bucket is full, it can be emptied and the wastes buried under the soil. After emptying the bucket it must be washed before the process begins all over again. If there is an extra bokashi bucket, the process can be initiated in the second bucket as the wastes in the first bucket continue to ferment.

In the mean time the bokashi juice needs regular removal and therefore draining should be done at regular intervals (Earth Basics 2012). Burying the wastes The hole for burying the wastes should be around 20 to 25 cm deep. When the hole is ready it is time to add the wastes mixed with soil. When the waste is fully covered with the soil it should be left there since the soil will continuously gain the nutrients at the microbial level. If the garden is well established one should dig a hole around the crops or in between the lines of tress.

The compost should not be too close to tender plant roots because they could suffer a burning effect from the heat in the compost (Cooper, 2010, 66). The compost has a high acidic content at the time it is placed in the hole but a process of neutralization can be complete with 7 to 10 days. One needs to take two weeks before using the compost for planting. Sometimes there may be no space for digging holes every other time the bucket fills up. If this is the 0063ase it is good to make a compost heap where the wastes will be buried.

When the process of decomposition is complete and the wastes are totally decomposed it is ready to be used as top soil. The bokashi wastes may also be put in the conventional compost bin. The juice discharged from the bokashi bucket in terms of quantity depends on the type of wastes put in the bucket. There is therefore no reason for concern if the bokashi bucket fails to produce any juice or produces very little. When fruits and vegetables are present in the bucket, the quantity of juice produced is higher.

Too much of the bokashi mix however may result in very low juice production. One should never unscrew the tap to more than three quarters of the turn. A skewer may come in handy for cleaning the bucket whenever the tap blocks (Cooper 2010, 90). Putting the juice to use in the garden and the home Before bokashi juice is used inside the garden it should be properly diluted. Very good fertilizer comes from bokashi juice because it has a lot of nutrients originating in the food waste and it has so many microorganisms as well.

In order to add fertilizer to a garden or a pot, between 2 and 3 liters of water is added to a tea spoon of the bokashi juice and then applied to the soil directly. Trees and shrubs need 2 tea spoons should be diluted with between 2 and 3 liters of water. The leaves should not come into direct contact with the fertilizer (Davies 2011, 123). The bokashi juice can also be used in the home for cleaning water ways. When this is the case the user should apply the juice directly to the septic systems, toilets and the drains in the bathroom and kitchen.

The juice helps to tackle the odour problem as well as the growth of algae. The juice cleans the water ways when the good bacteria enter into competition with bad bacteria and over power them.

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