Social enterprise Urban Hijau’s compost network project aims to reduce food waste in landfills.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians produce a whopping 17,000 tonnes of food waste daily which ends up in landfills. And when food decomposes in landfills, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide.
The good news is that food waste can be turned into compost, which can then be used to grow more food.
An urban farm in Kuala Lumpur, Urban Hijau established a compost network earlier this year as a step to reduce food waste by turning it into compost instead.
“The idea is to get people started on composting by first inculcating the habit of waste separation at home,” said co-founder Irfan Mohamed, 41.
On top of its Sunday markets and weekly food aid activity, the social enterprise, founded in 2015, also collaborates with corporations by organising various workshops and CSR projects.
To join the compost network, one just has to bring their food waste to Urban Hijau from 9.00am to 12.00pm on weekends.
Food waste deemed suitable for composting includes fruit peels, cooked and uncooked vegetable scraps, washed and dried eggshells, coffee grounds, tea leaves, rice, noodles, stale bread and cooked meat.
One can either freeze the food waste or sandwich it between two thick layers of mulch in an airtight container.
Upon the first contribution, participants will receive a RM10 voucher which can be used to buy fresh fruits and vegetables from the farm during its Sunday market.
Thereafter, participants will get a RM10 farm credit for every 10kg of food waste contributed. In addition, Urban Hijau is also planning to run a free compost workshop for participants soon.
According to manager and coordinator of the compost network Chong Li Yen, it can be a challenge for people to take the first step to separate their food.
“But once someone brings in their food waste and engages with us, the process starts to look very simple to them,” said the 27-year-old, adding that the participants consist of people from all walks of life, including university students who volunteer at the farm.
In fact, many said that they have managed to reduce their waste considerably since joining the project.
“Another said that their trash was reduced by two thirds once they started separating food waste,” she shared.
At the moment, the organisation also collects food waste from three cafés and are looking to collaborate with other businesses as well.
Urban Hijau carries out several types of composting methods on its farm.
Composting with Black Soldier Fly larvae is a rapid food waste processing system that takes just about 24 hours.
Despite it being a three-month-old facility, the farm processes about 40kg of food waste daily using this method.
“We aim to get to 100kg a day, and there are others in Malaysia who are doing this, but collectively it only addresses about 1% of food waste. Because food waste is a big problem, we need large-scale solutions that don’t involve incineration or the landfill,” explained Irfan.
Worm composting or vermicomposting on the other hand, utilises worms to turn food waste into compost in roughly six months.
Cold composting, also known as slow composting takes about three to four months, whereas hot composting takes about two months.
Those who wish to start composting on their own should attend a workshop so they can learn the proper techniques, Irfan said, because if done incorrectly, composting can produce an unpleasant smell.
Besides focussing on the compost network project, one of Urban Hijau’s goals for the year is to empower the B40 community by helping them to grow their own food.
“When many people – not just the B40 community – had to take a pay cut during the pandemic, many didn’t have enough money for food. So, if we can empower urbanites to grow their own food, they might be in a better position,” he said.
Those in the Klang Valley, don’t forget to check out Urban Hijau’s Sunday market, where you can get a variety of fresh-off-the-farm produce like spinach, okra, brinjal, lettuce, bok choy, bananas, papayas and sweet potatoes.
“We’ve had feedback from customers that our vegetables stay fresh for as long as two weeks,” he said.
And for those who have been thinking about reducing waste, what better way to start than by bringing your food waste to Urban Hijau.
“There’s no commitment, just bring them in at least once – that’s the first step to establishing a habit,” said Irfan.
“People get affected most when they experience something for themselves, so, do come visit,” said Chong.
At the end of the day, Urban Hijau is hopeful that collectively, everyone can help preserve the planet.
“We always go back to a quote by permaculture guru Bill Mollison, who basically says that even if just 10% of people do something to improve the way we live, it will create a massive impact for everyone.”