KUWAIT: As part of Kuwait Times’ efforts to increase media literacy in our community, sixth-grade students at Al-Ghanim Bilingual School, led by their teacher Yara Shaheen, have collaborated with our media organization to explore how composting can contribute to reducing food waste. The collaboration began with a lecture where students got an overview of journalistic writing principles by Kuwait Times Editor Nebal Snan.

Groups of students carried out research and wrote articles under the guidance of their teacher. Students Ahmad Al-Jarrah, Perla Haydar, Mohammad Al-Salhy, Yousef Al-Aryan, Sayed Ahmad, Omar Tamer, Joud Al-Haj, Abdulrahman Emran, Bader Al-Musallam, Abdullah Al-Ali, Lujain Al-Awadhi, Naser Al-Ayyar, Abdullah Al-Hawwaj, Eva Haydar and Mohammad Faisal were selected to contribute to this report.

Produced but never eaten

Did you know that tons of food is wasted around the world every year? According to the World Food Program, one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. This amounts to about 1.3 billion tons per year, worth approximately $1 trillion. All the food produced but never eaten would be sufficient to feed two billion people. That’s more than twice the number of undernourished people across the globe. In Kuwait, an individual wastes 95 kilograms of food annually, a recent report by the United Nations Environment Program suggests. The waste doesn’t only affect the global food supply. When we waste food, we also waste all the energy and water it takes to grow, harvest, transport, and package it.

Composting as a solution

Students at Al-Ghanim Bilingual School conducted a survey among their peers to seek out ways to tackle food waste. After much debate, composting came out on top as an easy way to turn waste into useful material. The waste management strategy is relatively easy and not too expensive to implement, making it an increasingly attractive option for food waste management worldwide, researchers and students agree. “It is cheap and helps me grow more food, and I don’t know a way other than composting. So I think composting is the best way to prevent food waste,” said one student named Ali.

You might ask, what is composting? Well, we got your back. Composting is a controlled aerobic (oxygen-required) process that converts organic material into a nutrient-rich fertilizer. The process mimics nature’s method of decomposition and helps the soil retain moisture and nutrients. Composting also attracts beneficial organisms to the soil and reduces the need for pesticides and fertilizers. It reduces the potential for soil erosion and sequesters carbon in the soil.

Why composting works

As things stand, landfilling is the most prevalent method to handle waste in Kuwait, according to Kuwait University research. Although Kuwait Municipality provides collection and disposal services, it doesn’t have a clear strategy for waste reduction or recycling.

A conference paper presented by Kuwaiti researchers in 2020 has found that Kuwait’s municipal solid waste is a great candidate for composting or incineration, given its high content of organic material and combustible components. Combining the two methods is likely the most viable sustainable waste management approach for the country — composting can process the organic fraction of the waste, while incineration can handle the remaining components. Researchers concluded that this waste management strategy would not only minimize the negative impacts of waste landfilling but might also have economic benefits.

The main challenges

Eliminating the unpleasant odor which results from composting is one of the main obstacles. The existence of impurities such as heavy metals, plastic or glass and contamination with pathogenic microbes could also affect the quality and safety of the produced fertilizer, and consequently the planted crops, and increase composting costs. Controlling the composition of the food waste and its moisture content, which requires proper pre-sorting, is necessary but might also pose a challenge.

Still, composting is better for the environment when compared to landfilling because the carbon dioxide emitted from the process doesn’t contribute to global warming, according to research.

A source of revenue

Composting is not known to be economically feasible for areas with limited agricultural activities, such as Kuwait. But high-quality compost could be an efficient strategy to improve the quality and fertility of Kuwait’s sandy soil texture and boost agricultural opportunities, research suggests. Kuwait can also play its hot climate to its advantage — researchers from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz University suggest that composting food waste in GCC countries can lead to a total net saving of around $70.72 million per year. Selling compost can also be a lucrative revenue source, but the challenge is producing compost that satisfies international standards and finding a market to sell it. Many composter facilities worldwide struggle to find markets for their products, as has been the case in Sri Lanka, which produced in 2019 at least 3,000 tons of compost from food waste.

How to compost at home

If you’re a beginner and you want to get started on composting, here’s some advice for you to get started: Start with a base layer of twigs, mulch or old potting mix to encourage air circulation and provide drainage. Follow with layers of green and brown material — say garden clippings and kitchen scraps, then leaves and wet paper. Chop larger materials as you add them then mix the brown and green materials together.

Maintain the moisture using a damp wrung out sponge. Add water after each layer to keep the pile moist but not too wet. Finish with a layer of soil or finished compost to help reduce odors. Remember that the smaller the items are, the faster they will decompose. When layering, try to add two parts brown material to one-part green. Heat will turn your organic waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer for your plants.

Reducing waste in our kitchen

Some tips to reduce food waste at home include, planning your meals, properly storing your food, knowing your molds and understanding the difference between ‘use by’ vs ‘best before’ dates. You should also avoid serving too much food, repurpose waste where possible and share extra food with others.