Would you like to compost your waste but live in an apartment and have limited space at your disposal? The Bokashi is an interesting composting option.
The Bokashi is a compact kitchen composter. Unlike traditional composters, it relies on an anaerobic (oxygen-free) fermentation process. It's the ideal accessory for reducing and adding value to organic waste, while avoiding unpleasant odors.
How do I use it? What are its advantages and disadvantages? We explain it all in this article!
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What is Bokashi? A compost based on fermentation
The term Bokashi comes from Japanese and means "fermented organic matter". This is its distinctive feature: it's a composting method based on an anaerobic (oxygen-free) fermentation process.
Bokashi uses an activator made up of micro-organisms (EM). These micro-organisms (lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, etc.) facilitate the decomposition of waste by promoting fermentation. They break down organic matter while inhibiting the proliferation of bacteria responsible for putrefaction. This process generates acids and preserves the nutrients contained in the waste. After a while, when acidity is sufficient, the process stops.
How to use Bokashi?
Suitable for small spaces, this composter slips easily into a kitchen. Despite its small size, it offers sufficient volume thanks to the pressing of waste. Ideal for apartment living!
Instructions for use: how does it work?
The Bokashi consists of a bucket, a press lid and a tap at the base. The system is very simple:
- Place a first layer of activator on the bottom of the Bokashi
- Place kitchen waste in the bucket
- Sprinkle with a layer of Bokashi bran
- Evacuate all the air from your bucket with the lid
- Leave to ferment for 15 days before using the compost.
- Recover fertilizer juice every day with the tap
Where to place your Bokashi?
Place the Bokashi in a cool, dry space, such as a kitchen corner or under the sink. Its compact design and airtight lid make it a discreet indoor option.
What can you put in Bokashi?
The million-dollar question! Unlike a vermicomposter or traditional composter, you can compost almost anything in your Bokashi.
In fact, the easiest way is to make a list of the things you can't compost! These include fluids (vinegar, juice, sauces, milk, oil, water), large bones, ashes, animal excrement, paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, metal, medicines, chemicals and diseased plants.
Apart from this waste, you can put in anything you like, just make sure you cut it into small pieces!
- Raw and cooked fruits and vegetables (including citrus, exotic fruits and lilies)
- Leftovers
- Cooked and raw meat and fish
- Cheese and dairy products
- Eggs
- Starches
- Coffee grounds and tea bags
- Faded flowers
- Tissues (in small quantities)
What are the advantages of Bokashi?
A simple and effective composter
The bokashi is easy to use. For one thing, it doesn't require waste sorting. Unlike other solutions, the Bokashi can compost all types of kitchen waste, including meat, dairy and citrus products. It's also low-maintenance. The bokashi requires no stirring or aeration, making it a simple solution to use, even for beginners.
Bokashi is fast. In just 2 weeks, you have a pre-compost that can then be mixed with soil or added to a conventional composter for complete decomposition.
A composting method without odors or nuisances
Don't panic, Bokashi doesn't cause any inconvenience!
Thanks to its hermetic operation, it does not attract pests.
Nor does it give off unpleasant odours as long as it remains tightly closed! Inside, fermentation gives off a smell that can be unpleasant. Fortunately, you'll only have to deal with it for a minute when you add your waste.
Harvest natural fertilizer for your plants
One of the main advantages of the Bokashi is its ability to harvest compost tea and produce "pre-compost" in just two weeks.
During fermentation, a liquid called bokashi tea or leachate is formed. This compost juice can be collected at the tap of the bucket. It's a nutrient-rich liquid fertilizer, a valuable resource for fertilizing your houseplants. To use, simply dilute it in your watering can. This acidic liquid can also be used as a natural drain cleaner.
The Bokashi transforms your biowaste into a pre-compost. It can also be incorporated into potting soil to improve its quality. If you have a garden or balcony, mix the contents of the Bokashi with soil in your planters. You can also share it in a collective compost or with other gardeners in town.
What are its drawbacks?
Failure to harvest mature compost
Bokashi does not produce directly usable compost, only a pre-compost. The waste is partially decomposed and acidified. It is necessary to bury the pre-compost in the soil or add it to an outdoor composter to finalize the decomposition process.
The additional cost of compost activator
To operate, Bokashi requires a specific micro-organism-based activator, which entails an additional cost.
Conclusion: composting in an apartment becomes child's play!
The Bokashi, an apartment composter
The Bokashi is a composting solution particularly suited to people living in apartments:
- Compact, it's ideal for small spaces.
- It allows you to compost indoors without odour or nuisance.
- Easy to use and low-maintenance.
- It recovers all types of waste.
- It produces compost tea, a natural liquid fertilizer for your plants.
Vermicomposting, an alternative solution worth exploring
When it comes to composting in your apartment, worm composting is another solution. This is composting using compost worms, little creatures with great powers! Thanks to them, waste decomposition is odorless and 4 times faster than with a traditional composter. Unlike the Bokashi, the worm compost bin produces mature compost.
Discover our range of apartment composters
Whether in your kitchen, on your balcony, or even in your living room, composting in an apartment is now accessible to everyone with Ceercle.
Handmade in Portugal, our apartment worm composters are designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and practical. 100% modular, they are simple, compact, stylish and odorless.
Dreaming of a balcony vegetable garden? Discover our vermicomposter vegetable garden, for growing and composting in a single object. Self-fertilizing, your herb and vegetable plants grow twice as fast!
Discover our entire range of worm composters on our dedicated page Ceercle. Over 5,000 satisfied households!
