Trash to cash

25 Feb, Thusday 2010

Kathmandu: At a time when solid waste disposal has become a huge headache for both headache for both locals and the authorities concerned in Kathmandu, there are some people who are making money out of their household waste. These smart citizens have proven that with little effort trash can actually be turned into cash – all you need is the ‘worms’.






WASTES FOR WORMS

"Organic waste from my house does not go out. I keep it in my house and feed the waste to earthworms," shared Kishor Maharjan, assistant lecturer at the Environment Science Department, Tri-Chandra College. For the last six years, Maharjan has kept earthworms in a corner of his compound for vermicomposting. He started vermicomposting with 1,000 earthworms and now he has more than one lakh of these composting agents.


As their number increased, the waste generated from his house became insufficient so he started collecting waste from the vegetable market at Kalimati. "Every week nearly a tonne of wastes from vegetable market come to my house as food for these earthworms," he informed.


INCOME FROM WASTE
For Maharjan these earthworms are not only eating up all the wastes but are also helping him generate money. Earthworms digest these organic wastes and produce a kind of manure called vermicompost. He produces around 350 kg of vermicompost every month. Like him, Sanu Maya Maharjan from Mata Tirtha is also in the vermicompost business. "Before I started vermicomposting, I was financially dependent on my husband. But after this I am no longer dependent on him as I earn a good amount," she said. She started vermicomposting some seven years ago and sells 200-250 kg every three months.


The price of vermicompost ranges from Rs. 22-25 per kg depending upon the manufacturer and the quality of the manure. She also finds this technology convenient, as "it doesn't require a large space. It can be done even in a small tub".


Another member of the vermicompost business Raj Krishna Shrestha informed another way of earning money in this business. "Besides the compost, you can also sell earthworms as they multiply very fast," said Shrestha, a resident of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality of Bhaktapur.


However, the earthworms used in this process are not the ordinary ones commonly found in the soil. "These are a special breed and are imported from different countries. These cost around Rs. 3,000 per kg," he informed adding "If you want to buy less, it costs Rs. 2 for each."






IN DEMAND
"Vermicompost enriches soil fertility as it contains nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, organic matter among others, which are necessary for better soil quality. It is the best choice in organic farming," said Kishor Maharjan.


Talking about the market scenario he added, "There is no problem as there is a high demand for vermicompost in nurseries and even in households." Sharada Prasad Sharma, who lives in Baneshwor, is one such person who has been using vermicompost in his garden for last six years.


Explaining his choice he said, "I prefer vermicompost to chemical fertilizers in my garden because not only is it rich in nutrients it is also a good way of effective solid waste management."






FOR BETTER ENVIRONMENT

Vermicomposting is one of those very few businesses, which actually is benefiting the environment as well. "Along with managing the household waste this way we can also stop ourselves from polluting our city," opined Kishor Maharjan. He stressed, "If every household practices vermicomposting, over half of the solid wastes produced would be managed inside the house itself."


To make sure more people start saving the environment Sanu Maya Maharjan and Shrestha have been sharing the idea of vermicomposting with their neighbors. And many have followed their path. "Not only are we economically strong but our environment is also safe from pollution," Shrestha pointed out the wider benefit of vermicomposting.






What is vermicomposting?
Kathmandu: Vermicomposting is the process of decomposing organic matter where mutual action of earthworms and microorganisms convert organic waste into fertilizer called vermicompost.


Red worms, European Night crawlers, Blue worms are the kinds of worms used in this process. Almost any agricultural, urban or industrial organic material can be used for vermicomposting provided that it does not contain any toxic material that can harm the worms.


Materials like kitchen wastes (except for oil, meat and dairy products), garden wastes such as grass clippings and leaves and animal wastes can be used for it. The site for vermicomposting should be shaded, as earthworms tend to shy away from light. It can be done in containers such as wooden boxes, plastic bins and old drums or even on the farm or in the backyard.


(Source: The Himalayan Times, February 5, 2010)