These creepy crawlies can help recycle food waste

Have no fear, for the worms are odourless and will not escape from the containers
Ong Dai Lin, Today Online 30 Jul 08;

NOW apartment-dwellers can go green in more ways than one — by recycling their food waste and generating compost for their high-rise gardens. The formula? A can of worms.

Since its debut at the Singapore Garden Festival on July 25, some 300 Singaporeans have already indicated interest in having their own worm farms.

While the worms are already being bred by GreenBack Private Limited in Kranji, those eager to start their own worm fertiliser farms in their balconies or backyards face a six-to-eight-week wait before taking delivery of their special worm housings — called Can-O-Worms — as these have to be shipped in from Australia.

Ms Nancy Chong, a retiree, is one of those keen on the product. Said the 60-year-old: “I do grow some plants in my flat, so I thought this is a very good idea and I wanted to know more about the product. My friends in Australia are already using the system and they do their own composting.”

GreenBack director Enoch Chia said the system was ideal for home use.

“Consumers just have to feed the worms with leftover vegetables and the worms will produce worm casts that can be used as organic fertilisers for plants,” he said. “We hope that Can-O-Worms can encourage people to recycle their own food waste and be more environmentally friendly.”

The worm farm is also supposed to be odourless as the food waste is quickly eaten up by the worms.

There is also little danger of the crawlies escaping from their containers, assured fellow GreenBack director David Murphy.

“The worms will not escape since they have food to eat in the trays,” he said.

“They may only escape if there is overpopulation but that is not likely as the worms will regulate their own population.”

Asked about after-care service for the worm farm, Mr Chia said: “We do not anticipate any problems with the product as the system is supposed to be self-maintaining. But customers can always call us if they have any problems.”

He added that this is a good time to bring in the product because of the green movement.

“There is now greater awareness to recycle waste and the government is also encouraging people to go green.”