Module 1:

Bokashi composting with biochar

Overview of Module One

Module one is an introduction to carbon sinking. It involves setting up systems for food scrap collection and starting bokashi composting using biochar.

Module one contents:

Getting staff and students on board
How to set up food scrap collection systems
How to start bokashi composting with biochar.

Module 1 PDF Guide

Bokashi composting with biochar

Start bokashi composting with biochar at your school!

Biochar is a type of charcoal that is a powerhouse for supercharging carbon sinking in soil. We use a unique one bucket bokashi system which is easy to use and effective for school food scraps.

Carbon sinking in schools

Schools can make a real difference to the planet by collecting food scraps, composting, and growing a living carbon sink–topsoil.

The Carbon sinking in action project focuses on resource recovery, climate action and learning about soil science. See how the system works with the one bucket system and use of biochar.

Food scrap collection

We recommend the use of food caddies in eating areas, to encourage easy use of them. Student monitors can then collect the caddies and empty them into larger bokashi buckets, where they can be dealt with and stored. After the collected food scraps have cured for a few weeks, bokashi compost can be dug into soil.

Why use bokashi composting?

Bokashi is preferable over worm composting for schools, because it can take most food scraps, including: cooked food, bread, meat, dairy, onions and citrus. Worm farms and compost bins are unable to take many of these items. Biochar controls odours and helps to rapidly build topsoil when dug in.

The Carbon sinking in action project

The Zero Waste, Zero Carbon and Carbon sinking programmes have been running successfully in North Auckland intermediate schools since their inception in 2019. They have been constantly evaluated and revised, into an easy system that works well for schools. Students can be actively engaged in real climate action when diverting food scraps using biochar/bokashi composting systems. We have brought together our learnings from these to form the current project- Carbon sinking in action.