Feed the Soil - Turn food waste into fertilizer Karen Truesdale

Problem: 40% of the material going into our local landfill is organic matter.  The landfill is going to expand to accommodate our growing population.  What a waste!  We can do better!

Solution:  Food waste can be fermented in an air-tight container in a matter of days and tilled into gardens, vegetable patches, and farmers’ fields.  Issues with vermin, rodents, flies and odours are eliminated.

Project Proposal:  To educate the public about the benefits of fermenting food waste. A variety of media will be developed and deployed.  Three demonstration projects will be developed with a school, a community, and an event.

Deliverables:

-          Develop website, video documentary, display boards, how-to guides

-          Present at 4 local fairs (+150K attendees)

-          Press coverage (BC)

Awareness of landfill issues and the impact of organic matter, as well as a viable solution, will motivate people to take action to address the issues. Landfill expansion will be minimized. The diversion of food waste to create organic “fertilizer” will enhance the nutrients in the soil and give a boost to the local sustainable food production by lowering the operating costs of local farmers. Traditional composting processes can result in odour and vermin issues, as well as potential for leaching into nearby water courses. The new food waste to fertilizer process is contained, quick, and requires no water and little labour. Composting issues are eliminated. Additionally, our pilot demonstrated that the nutrients produced are superior to traditional composting, resulting in effective soil enrichment.