The Wormporium at Otago Polytech
On-site Composting at a large workplace really can work — here’s one example:
I recently had a delightful three week trip down to Dunedin to babysit my little granddaughter so that my daughter could do a summer school paper at university.
With time on my hands and a little person to entertain, it was the perfect chance to explore a city.
Time and time again I found myself in the situation of having an outdoor snack, and nowhere to pop an apple core. No big deal… along with nappies and spare changes of clothing, I carried around containers for food scraps to take home and compost.
Except my daughter doesn’t compost.
And neither does the University of Otago.
Nor does the Otago Museum.
Let’s be honest… right from the moment I left home, I found rubbish bins destined for landfill with pictures of apple cores: Auckland Airport, Dunedin Airport, the University of Otago, and all through the city of Dunedin itself.
I love how the octagonal rubbish bin evolved from one section into three, while retaining the octagonal element. But now, I reckon the time has come to evolve once more, and give organic waste a better destination.
That ‘Love NZ’ sticker is a prime example of greenwashing when food scraps are being sent to landfill.
Joy oh joy, to discover that fourth bin inside of Otago Polytech, with the food scraps being turned to soil on campus.
Where do they make the soil? At ‘Pōpopo’, the Wormporium, where students and staff can be part of a bucket swap system, bringing food scraps to be turned to compost. The finished soil is used by horticulture students to feed all the fruit trees on campus — a true closed loop system.
- Food scraps from the halls of residence are composted.
- Food scraps from the cafeteria and staff rooms are composted.
- Food scraps from the food design department are composted.
- Local cafes and businesses can also be part of the operation.
As the compost manager Liam is responsible for turning the food scraps into healthy soil for the horticulture students to come and collect. I’ve seen loads and loads of composting facilities, and this was an impeccable worksite — clean & tidy, ergonomic, accessible, friendly, transparent, odourless and churning out soil with ease. And he does this in 20 hours a week, with occasional help from the student army.
Amazing!
Or is it?
Perhaps this is the new normal?
Something we may one day expect to see attached to all workplaces.
My final task before leaving Dunedin was to make sure my daughter knows where she can take her food scraps, and set her up as a ‘bucket swapper’ with the Pōpopo Wormporium.
Thanks Otago Polytech!
Find out more from Pōpopo’s compost manager himself
The contact person for this operation is Liam Hoffman, who you can reach by email at liamh@op.ac.nz or by phone on 021–0842–3732.
You can also contact Kim Thomas, who is the Horticulture Department’s Teaching and Research assistant. Email: kim.thomas@op.ac.nz
Want to learn more about Blue Borage Composting Solutions?
Send me an email at katrina@blueborage.co.nz to get the latest online courses on workplace worm farming, composting, holistic weed management, circular gardening or basic biodynamics, or to book me to come and talk to you and your colleagues at work.
Ideas for innovative edible gardening solutions using biodynamic methods to make exquisite compost is what the world needs right now. To see the full range of online courses go to blueborage.teachable.com or get in touch by email at katrina@blueborage.co.nz
