WHOLE EARTH ORGANIC FARM

In an effort to divert as much waste from landfill as possible and to encourage sustainable lifestyle habits, Johannesburg-based waste management company Whole Earth Recycling has launched a curb-side food waste collection service called Whole Earth Organic Farm, which turns kitchen scraps into compost. The company collects organic food waste weekly and at month-end, customers receive a bag of nutrient-rich compost to feed their gardens, herbs or pot plants.

South Africans generate an estimated 122 million tons of waste a year and of this, 90% is disposed of in over-capacitated landfill sites – only 10% is recycled and enormous amounts that are in fact organic and biodegradable, end up in landfills. This waste comprises fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, loose tea, bread crusts and even fish, meat and bones.

Organic waste of any kind does not belong in a landfill. Breaking down anaerobically, this waste (compressed under the weight of yet more waste) slowly decomposes and produces methane, a harmful greenhouse gas directly linked to climate change. Organic waste also creates leachate, a pollutant that can run into local water sources at landfills if not managed properly. When organic waste is landfilled, it represents a significant loss of nutrients that could be used for compost and soil fertilisation.

Adopting more sustainable lifestyle habits is no longer a choice but a necessity.

www.wholeearth.co.za