Waste-to-Energy
Recovery is the extraction of materials or energy from waste for further use or processing. The main areas for the recovery of resources are composting, converting landfill gas to energy, use of waste oil as a fuel and converting sewage sludge to a biomass.
Benefits of Recovery
- Reduces the amount of waste going to landfill
- Converts waste materials to energy
- Home composting saves you money (as you do not have to pay to dump the waste, nor buy compost)
- Compost is great for both the vegetable and flower gardens
- Stops garden waste getting into the landfill where it can form methane and leachate
Composting
Garden and food waste is one of the biggest problems associated with landfills. 42% of the waste entering the Southland Regional landfill has the potential to be composted. In landfills garden and food waste breakdown to form methane (a harmfull greenhouse gas) and leachate that potentially pollute our waterways. Keeping garden and food waste out of the landfill will not only reduce the amount of rubbish going in, but also prevent these pollutants being generated. In addition to provide a resource from our waste - compost.
Traditional Composting
Composting is natures way of turning garden and food waste into a valuable product for reuse in your garden. It is a simple, cost effective and natural way to recycle your garden and kitchen waste. Composting breaks down organic material using a large number of bacteria and insects along with the right mix of oxygen and moisture.
Worm Farming
Worm Farming or Vermiculture is another way to compost your foodscraps. Worms will eat most of your kitchen waste and worms castings(poo) is high quality fertiliser which can be added to your gardens soil and your potted and indoor plants.
Bokashi
If you don't have room for a compost bin and you cannot manage a worm farm, then Bokashi is just what you need. The Bokashi process uses 'yeasts and fungi' to breakdown your food waste and speed up the composting processes.
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