How do we deal with food waste? Can we recycle food waste?
There are many ways to do it, but none seem to be easy enough because otherwise we would all be recycling food waste like we're recycling cans, bottles, and paper.
Composting seems to be one answer, and there are high tech methods being considered. But they all have their issues.
So, how about fermenting food waste?
We all know about, or at least eaten, pickled foods (that is, fermented foods).
What if the same process of pickling is applied to food waste?
We're not talking about pickling food extras or leftovers to preserve them for later consumption.
What we're talking about is pickling the scraps, the inedible parts, the lettuce stumps, banana peels, as well as, leftovers that won't last for later.
But we're also talking about all food waste, including meats, fish, all types of bones, dairy, fatty and oily foods.
So, what will pickling, or fermenting, the food waste do?
Naturally preserve,
promote good microbes, and
break down lignin.
Naturally Preserve
Just like pickling a cucumber or lettuce (sauerkraut, kimchee), it will naturally preserve the food waste. This is important in the recycling process for two reasons: antioxidants are produced to help preserve and stave off decay, and the preservation makes it possible to keep the food waste (for instance, in air-tight containers) for months or longer (just like pickled foods) until they can be used. Otherwise, food waste would rot, cause odors, and attract pests.
Promote Good Microbes
Pickling will also increase the number of beneficial, good microbes. The good microbes are the key players in the preservation producing the antioxidants and enzymes. The enzymes, among many other functions, help to break down lignin. Good microbes are also necessary when the food waste end up in the soil. Among the many factors necessary for rich, healthy soil, is the presence of a vibrant population of microorganisms.
Break Down Lignin
Most important, though, is that the pickling or fermentation process actually helps to break down the lignin, the fibers and stringy structure, in foods: vegetables, fruits, as well as, seeds and seed shells. This makes it easy for the food waste, once fermented, to quickly break down when buried in soil or added to a compost pile or added to a vermi-compost bin where the worms can go through the food waste much more quickly. (See the time comparison chart<Link>)
What do we do with the food waste once its been pickled?
The pickling or fermentation will take about 2 weeks. After that, there are many ways to deal with the pickled food waste.
Bury in soil (pit or trench)
Put into a compost pile or bin
Vermi-compost (bin, container, or in-vessel)
Windrow (large scale composting)
Storage (when the above aren't readily available until later)
Sell as a pre-treated raw product (for example, a windrow operation can turn the pre-treated fermented food waste into sellable quality top soil in about a month)
Bury In Soil
One very quick and clean way to deal with the pickled food waste is to simply bury it.
Next, I will write Part 2 which will go into details starting with, "So, how can we start recycling our food waste? (at home and business)
