Kardinya, Western Australia
Every home composter and backyard worm farmer has, at some stage, battled smells, bugs and heat. It can break the spirit of the keenest waste warriors and derail their efforts. And it’s the very reason the Kulungah Myah Community Centre in Perth, decided to tackle the issue, with support from Highways and Byways.
The centre in Kardinya recently ran an organic waste workshop as part of its comprehensive Earth Care Initiatives sustainability program. Waste educator Peg Davies, took the recyclers back to ground zero, showing participants how they can create very healthy compost and worm farms.
The centre’s Chairperson, Renee Case, said the workshop dealt with basic practices and offered solutions for people living on acreage or in small suburban blocks or apartments. “We designed the workshop so that the information could be applied in everyday life. Lots of families came along so that the kids were also seeing how to transform any food waste and scraps into something that could be used in the garden,” Renee said.
“One of the best aspects of the workshop was the willingness of people to talk about what they were doing and what wasn’t working. This created an opportunity for real learning because people weren’t frightened to talk about problems like smells, their problems with worm farms during a heat wave and other composting setbacks.”
Renee said discussion about Bokashi bins in apartment kitchens was a revelation to many participants who were deterred by lack of space. She said feedback showed the hands on workshop had armed people with a lot of knowledge and confidence. “The workshop also created a sense of shared purpose amongst the people who came, discovering that others have the same issues. It was a great chance to learn and share resources.”
The composting workshop was part of the Centre’s wider agenda to find sustainable solutions to daily waste production.
Renee said Earth Care Initiatives also include a waste textile drop-off service and donation drives for used sports goods and used stationary that are then repackaged for disadvantaged children. People leave each of these things at the centre and they are collected regularly. Rainbow Threads, a resident sewing group, has also started a party bunting hire service in partnership with the centre.
IMAGE: Peg Davies demonstrates worm farming.