Bokashi Bucket: A Solution For Reducing Food Waste

Food waste is one of the biggest problems for our environment. Not only do we waste food that people could have eaten, but we also waste water too to the tune of $172 billion dollars’ worth. Food that sits in a landfill causing methane buildup too - and that contributes to the global warming problem even more than carbon emissions.

One of the best ways you can help counter this is by composting your food scraps. To make it even easier, there’s the Bokashi Bucket which is a useful tool for those that want to compost without troubles because you can use it inside your home without making a mess or smelling like, well, a compost heap.

Composting Food Waste

The food waste you compost can turn into food for use in gardens, on lawns, or even for house plants all while reducing the waste in landfills. It works for fruits, vegetables, rice, bread, pastas, cooked or raw meat, bones, dairy waste, and coffee grinds. Only food stuffs should be put into this compost bucket - that means no paper, plastic, glass or metal. For the best results, grease and liquids should never be used either.

When you compost your food waste with the Bokashi-style methods, it uses an anaerobic fermentation process which means there’s no oxygen used to break down the food. This is completely natural and safe for everyone, including the environment. The unique design of this composting bucket means you won’t attract bugs or other pests either, making it a cleaner experience overall. Incidentally, bokashi is the Japanese word for fermented organic matter.

Making A Bokashi Bucket

In just six weeks, what you’ve accumulated in the Bokashi Bucket is ready to be used to nourish your lawn and garden. All you do is add your food scraps about two inches deep, then smush it down to reduce the air so the anaerobic process can take place. There’s also a spigot in the commercially-produced product that allows for draining of the liquid which is ideal for nourishing plants too.

You can buy a Bokashi Bucket, or you can use the methodology it employs to fashion one of your own. Simply buy two five-gallon buckets and a lid. A drill can help you make holes in the bottom of one of the buckets. You’ll just need to ensure the lid you buy creates a tight seal at the top to keep air out.

Little Changes

While it doesn’t come with a fancy spigot, you can drain out that liquid at the bottom of the bucket without holes and use it on your plants and trees. To keep the compost you’re creating in your homemade version from stinking, add a layer of organic grains to keep the smell from bowling you over as it ferments.

Once you get the hang of it, using a Bokashi Bucket is easy to do, and you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it. If we all make little changes like this to be more sustainable and less wasteful, we’ll be helping make our environment better with every day.

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Written By:

Jennifer Raskin is a freelance writer, wife and mom that loves cold weather despite her location in Florida, cooking, reading, watching ‘80s movies, weight-lifting, and wine tasting.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.