Composting options and offer
We encourage families in the Taupō District to recycle their green and food waste and as an incentive offer a subsidy toward composting equipment for residents.
There are four composting options available, from worm farms to home composting units, where you can save up to $100. They come in different sizes, and cater for indoor or outdoor use, so you can choose one that fits with your family's size and needs.
See below for details of each option, where to buy and check out our handy guide to help you choose the right composting solution!
Bokashi Bin
A ZingBokashi bin is great for households with limited space, as it’s a compact, two bucket system small enough to fit under the sink. Besides size, the main benefit is that you can add in pretty much ANY foods that most other composting systems don’t support; e.g. meat, bones, dairy. It requires very little maintenance and is great for someone new to composting. It does require burying the bucket’s contents, once full, in a hole in the ground. This is a great option for a household with little space, few people, and/or no garden waste. Otherwise, it works well as a supplementary system alongside any other composting method you use.
The ZingBokashi bin is only available online directly from the supplier and the composting system will be delivered directly to your door.
You can place an order using any of the following codes at the checkout on the ZingBokashi website:
- X1 10l bokashi kit = ZBKTD110
- X2 10L bokashi kit with x2 bags of compost zing = ZBKTD210
- X1 15l bokashi kit with x1 bag of compost zing = ZBKTD115
- X2 15l bokashi kit with x2 bags of compost zing = ZBKTD215
Earthmaker
The Earthmaker is ideal for a household that wants a low maintenance system to get rid of both food scraps and garden waste. It makes composting simple with a three-tier system that you put food scraps and garden waste in the top tier and your ready compost comes out the bottom tier when the decomposition process is complete. It does require some attention to ratios of green matter (e.g. food scraps, grass clippings) to brown matter (e.g. dead leaves) but is pretty foolproof. When adding matter regularly and properly, you should have an odour-free system that gifts you with rich compost within a couple of months.
The Earthmaker is sold at Mitre 10 and Bunnings.
Contact us for a voucher to get $100 off the normal retail price or visit the Earthmaker website.
Can-O-Worms
The Can-O-Worms is a great option for people who want to be slightly more involved in the compost process and watch the worms put their decomposing magic to work. It can handle up to 3-4 kgs of food scraps a week, so it’s best for households with few people. Its compact size make it ideal for households with limited space. Because the worms are consuming the decomposing material, you don’t have to worry about stink! The downside to the Can-O-Worms, as with any worm farm, is worms have specific criteria for a happy environment.
The Can-O-Worms are sold at Bunnings (worms not included).
Find out more on the WormsRus website.
Contact us for a voucher to get 53 per cent off the normal retail price.
Hungry Bin
The Hungry Bin is a great system for households that primarily want to compost food scraps, and add garden waste occasionally. The Hungry Bin is a cone shaped worm farm system where scraps are added to the top, digested by the worms, and the ready worm juice and compost can easily be harvested from the bottom, when ready. Worm farms are naturally on the pickier side of what you can add to them, as the worms only thrive in certain environments.
This means you have to give a worm farm slightly more attention than you’d give to say, the Earthmaker Bin. But once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll feel pride in seeing your worm colony flourish.
The Hungry Bin is sold at Farm Source.
Find out more on the Hungry Bin website.
Contact us for a voucher to get $100 off the normal retail price.
Compost heap or pile
Your classic compost pile heap is great for a household that accumulates lots of green waste. Food waste can also be added but be aware that critters may be lured in by food if your pile is open.
Compost heaps do require more maintenance than the store-bought systems as they need to be turned regularly to maintain oxygen is getting in and you want to be sure to get your ratios of green matter (e.g. food scraps, grass clippings) to brown matter (e.g. dead leaves) correct.
This is a system that works well for people that have space and are happy to be invested in creating a great end product.
