Worms produce a ton of fertilizer from organic waste

ISTANBUL

A total of 1 million worms at the facility of the Zeytinburnu Municipality in Istanbul that feed on organic waste collected from marketplaces and groceries have produced a ton of fertilizer for use in horticulture.

“The organic wastes we collect from the marketplaces established six days a week throughout Zeytinburnu and from the grocery sections of the markets are first processed in compost machines, and then we feed the worms every 15 days with this soil-improving compost product,” Zeytinburnu Mayor Ömer Arısoy informed.

A ton of vermicompost has been produced from 1 million worms fed with nine tons of compost product to date, the mayor said, adding that the fertilizers are used in horticulture carried out in the facility.

“In this facility operating with a sustainable approach, we supply the energy of the compost machines from solar panels and the moisture need of the worms from rainwater harvesting practices,” he elaborated.

The facility called the Environment and Climate Change Education Center also provides face-to-face training on climate change and zero waste for children aged 8-12.

With the training on the functioning of organic wastes, it is aimed to instill personal responsibilities that will play a role in food safety, environmental protection and sustainability, as well as the recycling of food waste and obtaining high value-added products from these wastes.