Bokashi: a new (old) way to compost

Vokashi is a locally-based orga­ni­za­tion that seeks to bring urban-friendly com­post­ing options to New York. The orga­ni­za­tion was inspired by a sim­i­lar New Zealand orga­ni­za­tion, who adapted the Japan­ese “bokashi” com­post­ing prac­tice. Bokashi relies on fer­men­ta­tion, and accel­er­ates the com­post­ing process with­out oxy­gen (known as an “anaer­o­bic” process).  This dif­fers from tra­di­tional aer­o­bic com­post­ing meth­ods, which rely on oxy­gen to break down the organic matter.

Bokashi prac­ti­tion­ers col­lect food scraps in an air­tight con­tainer and add an EM (effi­cient microogranisms) mix which assists in the fer­men­ta­tion process. Users claim that bokashi is uniquely apart­ment– and office-friendly, since the use of fer­men­ta­tion accel­er­ates the com­post­ing process while reduc­ing smell and mess. Another ben­e­fit of the process is that bokashi com­post­ing won’t attract pests.

Vokashi mem­bers exchange buck­ets each month for fresh buck­ets and bran (Vokashi’s pre­ferred EM mix). There are small monthly fees to cover pick-up and deliv­ery, as well as mate­r­ial costs. It may be worth­while invest­ment if you’re not inter­ested in haul­ing your com­post to a green­mar­ket your­self, or if you live com­munely or col­lab­o­ra­tively with neigh­bors. Vokashi could also make com­post­ing a viable, low-maintenance option for your workplace.

If you’re not quite ready to take the leap, you can learn more about dif­fer­ent ways that New York­ers approach com­post­ing through research, or by attend­ing work­shops and events.

Image: EcoPlum