How It Works
What happens in the Kitchen
What happens on the farm
To read more about types of food scraps taken, equipment provided and more, scroll down
Click the button below to read more about composting on the farm.
What food scraps we take
All fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, cooked food, meat, dairy, citrus, onions, bread, baked goods, beans, pulses, grains and small amounts of soft paper, like napkins and paper towels.
*City to Farm does not take raw dough, liquids, fats or oils, large bones or compostable serve ware, plastics or bioplastics.
Large Food Scrap Producers
Small Food Scrap Producers
- Over 8L a day -
- Under 8L a day -
For large scrap producers, we provide wheelie bins and currently collect once a week. The bins act as large bokashi compost containers.
For small scrap producers, we provide 15L buckets for your scrap collection. The sealed buckets act as small bokashi containers.
What do the kitchen staff need to do?
Bokashi composting requires a bit of layering. After putting down 75-100mm pf food scraps, Zing* is sprinkled on top - which C2F provides.
This helps with odour and with breaking down the food scraps efficiently.
When the bins or buckets are full, the lids are strapped down.
The bins and buckets come with woody mulch in the bottom which keeps the food scraps out of the liquid generated when the food scraps break down and is a necessary part of the bokashi process.
*Zing is sawdust or bran with special food-grade micro-organisms for pickling the food scraps.
Bokashi Bucket Cross Section
Wheelie Bin Cross Section
A Bit About Bokashi Composting
Bokashi composting requires special equipment and materials but produces highly nutrient-rich compost in a very short amount of time compared to traditional composting (read more about this in our FAQ section below.) What this means is that there are a couple of extra steps for the kitchen staff.
There is a layer of woody mulch in the bottom of the bucket or wheelie bin. This adds carbon and keeps the food scraps out of the liquid that forms when food scraps break down.
In situations of particularly smelly food, staff can add the biochar provided to the top or bottom layer of food scraps to minimise odour
Lastly, we also provide bins or buckets with straps so that they are sealed airtight. Bokashi composting is an anaerobic process meaning that the process happens without oxygen, unlike traditional composting. An air-tight lid is fitted when the bucket is full and taken to the collection point.
Read more about what happens in the composting process on our 'where it goes' page.
Q. How much space does it take up in the kitchen?
A. Space for a benchtop bucket or container which is emptied into the bucket or wheelie bin.
Q. How much space does it take up outside?
A. This depends on the quantity of food generated. 7 wheelie bins, one a day, take about 2 linear metres of space. Filled Bins need to be kept in a shady location. Inside, buckets can be stacked on top of each other with the top bucket with a loose lid to take food scraps.
Q. How frequently is the collection?
A. HCZW collects the bins once a week and replaces the zing as needed.
Q. What equipment is needed?
A. HCZW supplies all the equipment—the specially sealed bins, the bokashi inoculant and instructional signage.
Q. How much does it cost?
$3.50 per 15 L bucket
$15-$20 per 80L-140 L wheelie bin
Prices vary depending on weight.
Q. How does the food scrap producer benefit?
A. Producers become part of the climate change solution and can use this as a marketing tool. As the waste levy rises, it may be possible to divert enough to lessen your waste-to-landfill charges.
What kit will I get?
We provide different systems based on the type of food scraps. Henkel bins are used for high nitrogen food scraps like meat, dairy, fish or soybean.
Henkel bins are used for high nitrogen food scraps like meat, dairy, fish or soybean.
140L Wheelie bins used for lightweight vege produce
80L-100L Wheelie bins for heavier food scraps
Buckets for small amounts of food scraps and coffee grounds
What is the process?
C2F meets the manager and assesses the collection area and type of food scraps
C2F delivers wheelie bins, instruction posters, and trains staff
When the container is full or at the end of the day, it is moved outside, the airtight lid is strapped down, and stored outside in a shady place.
The full containers are collected weekly and replaced with clean containers by C2F
What is a Bokashi compost system?
Bokashi composting is different from other forms of composting because it uses an anaerobic process that ferments the organic material instead of decomposing it.
It requires special equipment and materials but produces highly nutrient-rich compost in a very short amount of time compared to traditional composting.