Five ideas for dealing with food waste in the office

1. Start a garden

As soon as you have easy access to soil, you have an easy way to dispose of food waste. With just a couple of shrubs in tubs you’ll be able to use a bokashi bucket system to turn your kitchen scraps into pickle. Bury the pickled waste from your bokashi and watch your plants thrive on the natural fertiliser.

2. Upgrade to a worm farm

A worm farm is a great way to deal with volumes of food waste. They don’t like meat, bread, or citrus, but will happily turn other food scraps (and paper) into rich, dark soil. Convince the boss to build some raised beds at work, top them up with your worm farm soil, and you’ll be using your waste to grow food before you can say ‘office garden’.

3. Install an InSinkErator

The devices increase power and water use, but if you’re not able to compost your food scraps they offer a simple way of keeping rotting food out of landfill. Food waste that rots in landfills releases methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas – and can also contaminate recycling – so used wisely an InSinkErator can be a greener alternative.

4. Call your local pig farmer

If your workplace is generating enough food waste the local farmer might be keen to buy it off you. Hey presto – it’s money for nothing.

5. Use a third-party service

Companies such as We Compost in Hamilton and Auckland and Kai to Compost in Wellington will give you a bin and pick up your food scraps each week for a minimal charge then turn it into valuable soil.