What You Need to Know
Composting involves physical, chemical, and biological processes, breaking down food scraps into nutrient-rich soil over 1-6 months, with ideal temperatures between 130°F and 140°F. Recycling in restaurants includes food waste, paper, plastic, glass, and metal, with some implementing zero-waste policies.
Steps
- 1.
Bokashi composting (Japan): Anaerobic fermentation of kitchen waste using inoculated bran
- 2.
Community composting programs (United States): Restaurants contribute to municipal compost used in urban farming
- 3.
Closed-loop farm-to-table systems (Nordic countries): Restaurant waste composted and used to grow ingredients for the same establishment
The Science
Primary Reaction
Aerobic decomposition