Where does our food waste go?

Where does our food waste go?

Wheelie Bin?

From Cities Creative commons license from auntyemily

Creative commons license from auntyemily Landfill Site?

Wormery?

Paper and Cardboard Bedding

Collect our food waste

Feed the worms on our food waste

Composting worm Dendrobaena

Cocoons

Pot worms

Worms at work

School wormery

Worm facts Compost Worms live on the forest floor in the top layer of soil. They recycle dead leaves and plants into compost for other plants. They do not like light. They need moisture all the time. Breathe through their skin. They do not like being handled. They have five hearts. Both parents lay cocoons. Each cocoon contains about four babies.

Worms need Bedding to live in like wet cardboard and paper or horse manure. Food like kitchen scraps, food waste or garden waste. Moisture in their bedding and food. Protection from predators like moles, birds and mice.

Recycling Worms can turn large amounts of waste food, paper, cardboard and many other types of waste into rich and nutritious compost. This reduces the amount of waste going into landfill sites.

Worm Compost Worm compost is very rich and a valuable food source for plants. Plants grow strong, healthy and have greater resistance to disease. Healthy soil and plants means no need for chemicals.

Instructions Bedding Bedding is what the worms live in but they will also eat it and eventually turn it into compost, so it has to be renewed eventually. A good clean bedding material is waste paper and cardboard that has been shredded/torn and then soaked in water. The material should then be allowed to drain until no more water emerges. When a handful is squeezed, some drips should still run out. Bedding should be kept loose which allows plenty of air to reach the worms. The top 10cms 15cms layer can be lightly turned with a fork to maintain this.

Insulation If the worms freeze, they will die. If the bedding freezes, they cannot use it and if their food freezes then they cannot eat it. Some basic insulation will avoid these problems. The wooden walls of the box provide insulation along with the carpet over the bedding which is adequate for most of the year. However, during the coldest part of the winter, additional measures can be taken to avoid problems. Layers of corrugated cardboard can be laid on top of the carpet to help trap some warm air and to keep the frost off. Dead leaves can be added under the carpet and the worms will eventually consume them.

Food A shallow trench should be made in the bedding to take the food which can then be covered over. This allows the worms to access the food from above as well as below. The food should be moist before being used so add water if necessary. Not all waste foods are suitable so pay attention to what is added. Generally, fatty, oily and dairy foods are to be avoided. Feed small quantities on a regular basis. This allows the worms to clean up the last helping before more is added and avoids the bed turning sour or becoming overheated.

Feed the worms: Fruit and vegetable peelings Stale or mouldy bread Crushed eggshells Coffee grounds and paper filters Tea bags Garden waste like grass clippings and leaves (in small amounts) Shredded paper waste

Do not feed the worms: Do not feed the worms: Meat, fish and bones Citrus fruit peel Garlic and onion Dairy products Greasy foods

Schools in the cluster are taking part in a project called WORMS WORK which will help us all reduce our food waste and produce rich compost for the garden. To allow the school to collect important information about the food waste that we produce, we are asking you, as a family, to fill in this form and return it to school after your trial week is complete. By taking part, you will be helping the school to gather evidence towards green flag status. Thank You. Name: Class: Starting Date: DAY DESCRIPTION WEIGHT(kgs) 1 2 Please use this form to record your food waste details: How to use this form: Weights -Over the course of a week, weigh all the food waste that would normally be put into your green bin and enter the weights (in kgs) on the form for each day. You can put the waste into a plastic bag and use kitchen or bathroom scales. Description-Have a look at this food waste before you put it into the bag and write down what kind of food it is. (Potato peelings, tea bags, leftover pasta, chicken bones etc.) At the end of each day, just dispose of the food as you normally would do. Enter the days of the week, weights and description on the form everyday for one week then return the completed form to school. The WORMS WORK project has secured funding from the Climate Challenge Fund to provide wormery kits, made from locally sourced Larch, to families and schools in the Dunbar and East Linton area to help us all reduce carbon and our food waste going into landfill sites. A small donation of 20 is suggested to help cover the cost of materials and manufacture. If you would like a wormery or just some more information, please fill in your contact details. The school will be the main source of information, and will hold Wormery Workshops to help anyone with questions or problems they might have. By taking part in the project you are helping to support the Curriculum For Excellence and Eco Schools projects. There is already a WORMS WORK website www.ourlocality.org/wormswork/ that will grow and develop with the project. Web participation and competition is encouraged. 3 4 5 6 7 I would like more information. Name: Phone: I would like to give a worm box a home. Address: Post Code