Waste not, want not

‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’ is a mantra that everyone has heard at least once, but not many know how to put action to words. Here’s a scary fact – between 2002 - 2016, only 12.6% of metropolitan households, 10.8% urban area households and 3% households in rural areas reported that they recycled. Rolfe Eberhard, in an article about waste management in South Africa, said that “waste reduction, reuse and recycling efforts are still in their infancy and have not, to date, been able to significantly reduce the amount of waste going to landfill”. 

The reality of global warming looms over the earth, threatening the health of both humans and the environment. In light of the shocking statistics of South African waste management, there is great value in understanding the difference between wet and dry waste. United Resource Management, a waste management service based in Australia, provides insight. Dry waste is non-biodegradable, which means it cannot decay. These materials, such as glass and paper, are perfect for recycling, so that they can be reused to make new products. Recycling dry products also saves resources needed to create products from raw materials. Wet waste, on the other hand, consists of biodegradable materials that cannot be reused as they decompose in landfills. Wet waste materials include organic food matter, grease, oil, cooking fats, hazardous waste and other liquid waste. 

When wet and dry waste break down simultaneously in a landfill, greenhouse gases such as methane are released into the environment. Hence, it is vital to keep wet waste and dry waste segregated, so that overall waste can be disposed and recycled properly. 

Don Blacklaw, the creator and owner of Wizzard Worms, may have the magic solution to wet waste disposal. Based in Greytown, the vermiculture and worm farm business has been running for almost a decade. Inspired by a meeting with an Australian vermiculturist, Blacklaw has been supplying worm farms to green-minded South Africans ever since.

Compost worms, as they are commonly known, have huge microbial populations in their gut. Wet waste, such as cow dung, grass cuttings and vegetable peelings, is broken down and cast out by these industrious creatures. Blacklaw laughingly refers to worm products as ‘worm wee’, which contains beneficial microbes which enhance soil nutrients and aid in plant growth. After soaking the worm casts in water and molasses, the resultant Worm Tea is an incredible source of nutrients for your vegetable garden. This is organic recycling at its finest.

In terms of environmental impact, worm farming is a wriggle towards the future. “By owning a worm farm and processing your kitchen and garden waste, you contribute to reducing the quantities of waste ending up in landfill sites,” says Blacklaw. Furthermore, vermicomposting does not produce any methane, which is one of the biggest problems with decomposing mixed waste in landfills. Wizzard Worms is certainly a good, green option for those who are invested in the wellbeing of our planet. 

There are many other practical methods for waste management in one’s household. The best place to start is to always dispose of your wet and dry waste in separate containers. Dry waste can be separated into two bags: one for dry plastic, glass and paper that can be recycled and the other for dry items which might not be recyclable, such as styrofoam and certain plastics. It is better to clean dry waste items before disposing of them so that they can be recycled properly and will not have an unpleasant smell. Wet waste should be taken out of your home daily to avoid attracting insects or a bad odour. If you have the space, it is also useful to allocate an area in your garden for wet waste so that it can create compost. 

Reducing one’s carbon footprint may seem tricky at first, but the first step is as simple as disposing of one’s waste as greenly as possible. Worm farms can be set up in as small a space as a shoe box - even university students could make a difference.

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I wrote this piece with my friend, Jessica Feldtman.