Silverstar Casino implements Bokashi Bran Food Waste Recycling system

© Stefan Redel – 123RF.com

Originating from Japan, Bokashi means “fermented organic waste” in Japanese - and it is a product that is used to treat food waste, including cooked foods, protein, egg shells and bones, in order to stop it from rotting and to keep it out of landfill.

The Bokashi Bran ferments the food waste so there are no unpleasant odours or flies. The fermented food waste is then mixed with garden waste to convert into compost within a couple of weeks in a commercial composting environment.

Improving its recycling initiatives

According to Bronwyn Jones, founder of Bokashi Bran, the casino has a staff canteen feeding 1450 employees and 12 food outlet tenants. The company was landfilling around 47 tonnes of waste per month.

“The company was acutely aware of this and constantly tried to improve its recycling initiatives and focused heavily on separating at source – but food waste was the contaminating waste stream that essentially hindered this endeavour.

The Bokashi Bran Food Waste Recycling system was implemented on 17 February 2016. Each tenant was trained using a custom-design video demonstrating the Bokashi Bran process. The tenants and canteen staff are given 50 litre blue drums with a screw-on lid to collect waste. After each shift – breakfast, lunch, or dinner – the cleaning staff take the food to a central waste area. At the waste area, the food waste is processed through the Bokashi Bran WasteStation machine where it is macerated and dewatered. The macerated food waste is then layered with Bokashi ready to be commercially composted.

Results so far:

• 76% reduction in the tonnage of food waste by processing it through the WasteStation machine. 44 tonnes has been reduced to 10.6 tonnes;
  
• Reduction of landfill waste to 13,5 tonnes per month;
  
• 44 tonnes of food waste diverted from landfill from 17 February to 17 April 2016;
  
• Saving of 25 tonnes of C02e (DEFRA Carbon Factor: 570kg C02e for every 1000kg of food waste going to landfill over the same period – as in the point above;
  
• 42% reduction in monthly waste collection costs by eliminating the use of a compactor and reducing the number of skip lifts to landfill;
  
• greater efficiency with separating recyclables; and no more flies or smells at waste area.