Contents
Efficient Cost Effective Medical Marijuana On-Site
Waste Disposal for Growers and Dispensaries
Efficiently and Cost Effectively Bokashi Ferment Your Medical Marijuana
Waste
Figure 1: MMJ Waste
On-Site Disposal Method
General Process for
Fermenting:
Equipment Requirements
for On-Site MMJ Waste Cycling (Disposal):
Efficiently and Cost Effectively
Bokashi Ferment Your Medical Marijuana Waste
What is Bokashi Fermenting?
Figure 1: MMJ Waste On-Site Disposal Method
Bokashi fermenting is a method of rapidly metabolizing all
organic waste with naturally occurring soil microbes. It is 10 times faster than composting,
produces no greenhouse gases, produces no heat, and takes only 7 days. The pickled
waste material is then mixed
with soil to return all the nutrients and microbes to soil.
All organic waste will rapidly decompose and noxious odors, putrefaction, and gases are eliminated. No insects or rodents are attracted to the end product. It is accomplished in a remarkably small amount of space and requires no turning, mixing, aerating, or additional materials to complete.
Bokashi fermenting is very scalable. You can mix weeds, plant debris, food scraps including meat and dairy products, and any other organic material with no concerns about the carbon to nitrogen ratio. You simply shred the material and place it in a proper fermenter. During the shredding operation you add a powder (wheat bran base inoculants) which is dispersed in the shredding step and then leave the material alone for 7 days in a sealed fermenter.
The fermenting conditions will kill all seeds and pathogens including E. coli and Salmonella. No methane is produced because the pH shifts to a mildly acidic profile as material is metabolized. Methanogens, the organisms that produce methane can’t survive under these conditions.
You can process all waste on site. A standard residential food waste fermenting system will handle 40 pounds of waste per week. A single 55 gallon HDPE commercial fermenter handles 450 pounds per week. A single 4 cubic yard Poly Dura Kan fermenter can process 2 tons of waste per week.
Bokashi
Fermenting Advantage:
- On site rapid disposal of all organic waste
- Far more efficient than composting – takes only 7 days to ferment
- Biopulp mixed with soil results in highly enriched soil, improved microbial flora and enriched organic content soil
- Conserves water
- Requires no additional machinery or effort to process
- Eliminates odors and does not attract vermin or pests
- Fermenting is phytotoxic killing weeds and their seeds
- May combine all waste in a single operation
- Eliminates expense of pick-up and transport
- For MMJ there is no chain of custody additional tracking because waste is processed on site
- Eliminates greenhouse gas production in processing waste
- Bokashi culture mix costs are about $25 per ton of waste processed and is the least expensive of all waste processing methods
- Is the most sustainable agricultural method of waste management
For more information, on bokashi fermenting visit our WEB site at www.bokashicycle.com
Introduction:
Bokashi fermenting is an exceptionally easy way of recycling waste material rendering in a matter of days a bio-pulp (pickled waste) that is then mixed with soil to complete the cycle returning nutrients, metabolites and microbes to soil.
Bokashi fermenting of MMJ is an approved method of disposing of waste. Growers will appreciate that all their MMJ waste can be recycled back to soil on-site.
Growers who recycle product back through soil will save on fertilizers and water. Because the waste never leaves the physical premises, no off site tracking or expense is incurred. We provide systems capable of processing virtually any size operation from a few hundred pounds of waste to several tons per week.
Dispensaries should consider always fermenting waste product in a standard food waste fermenting unit on-site. The fermented waste may then be placed in a trash container with confidence it will be of no value to individuals hoping to gather active material after the dispensary closes. Fermenting will defeat the dumpster diving after hour visits that have plagued certain communities where dispensaries are located.
The dispensary fermented end product may also be used in a garden to enrich soil returning organic nutrients and microbes to the soil. Active ingredients are destroyed in the fermenting process.
General Process for Fermenting:
All MMJ waste at a grow plant must be shredded and inoculated before it is placed in a fermenter. It should be wet as it passes through the shredder.
Water used in the grow operation including water collected in any part of processing can be included in the waste process as long as it is free of detergents. Any water or product that is alkaline should be neutralized to pH 7 or lower before adding it to the fermenter.
No plastic or other non-organic material should be placed in the fermenter.
Medical dispensaries with waste may use food waste fermenting systems but dispensaries with a grow operation generating any stems or stalks or other plant woody parts will need to shred the waste before fermenting.
Inoculating waste takes place at the shredder assuring wide uniform dispersal of the inoculants in the waste. Dust is avoided with water soaking waste before it is fermented.
Bokashi culture mix should be used at a rate of approximately 5 pounds of culture mix per 400 pounds of pre-wetted waste.
When the fermenter is full, it is set aside and left alone undisturbed at ambient (room) temperature for a period of 7 to 10 days. It is then ready to be mixed with soil although it can be left in the fermenter undisturbed for weeks and months with no harm.
Growers processing more than 50 pounds of waste per week may want to harvest bokashi tea which is useful as a foliar spray and in drip irrigation systems returning valued microbes and nutrients and metabolites that give plants an extra boost.
Equipment Requirements for On-Site MMJ Waste Cycling (Disposal):
Operators will be provided with a package and instructions on processing waste fitting their specific needs. We will also provide on-site supervision and instructions for those who need assistance in getting started. Shredding units can easily handle tons per hour.
A dedicated area for processing should be established. A shredding unit will be put into position so that all inoculated shredded material ideally falls directly into the fermenter. The fermenter is then set aside with a sealed lid equipped with a safety pressure release valve cassette. The minimum number of fermenters is two per site as one fermenter is completing the pickling process while the second is being filled. This allows the operator to continuously run and process waste without any interruptions.
Shredding Units:
There are two options for shredding depending on the volume of material being handled and the operators. If the operator has a tractor and is familiar with PTO driven equipment and is willing to manually scoop shredded product into the fermenter, the Harper Industry CS5400 vertical chute PTO unit is a good choice. Bokashicycle will obtain the unit and have it delivered to the grow site at a discounted price.
Operators using the Harper Industry Model CS5400 shredder would process 0.5 to 12,000 tons of waste per month and likely use 55 gallon HDPE fermenters. Each fermenter will hold approximately 450 pounds of fermented waste.
A stationary high throughput electrically driven shredder is recommended for operators handling 1000 pounds or more of waste per month who do not have a tractor equipped for PTO operation. This shredder can handle very large volumes and has the added advantage that it can be mounted in position to send all shredded product directly to the fermenter. Minimal labor is involved in filling fermenters. The operator can use either 55 gallon HDPE fermenters or 4 cubic yard Poly Dura Kan fermenters which will handle 2 tons of product at a time.
Fermenting Units:
Operators processing 0.5 to 12 tons of waste per month may elect to use 55 gallon HDE fermenters. Each HDPE fermenter will hold up to 500 pounds of shredded waste. The minimum requirement is 2 55 gallon fermenters to accommodate continuous fermenting.
Poly Dura Kan fermenters are made of HDPE with casters so they can be easily moved about. They hold up to 2 tons of shredded waste and are equipped with anaerobic seals to exclude oxygen which is a requirement for successful fermenting.
Bokashi Culture Mix:
Bokashi culture mix can be supplied in bulk. It is the only consumable used in the recycling process and it is inexpensive. The general formula for processing is 25 pounds of culture mix per ton of waste processed.
Bokashi culture mix will cost approximately $25 per ton of waste processed. Waste recycled through soil quickly returns nutrients and microbes to feed new plants and the savings in a grow operation are substantial. The bio pulp cycled through soil re-establishes nutrients so efficiently that little additional fertilizing will be required. Operators should experience vibrant active growth and will note less watering is required due to the increased soil organic content that avidly retains water where it is needed.
Bokashi Tea Collection – Off Loading 55 Gallon Fermenters:
Bokashicycle provides an efficient way of collecting bokashi tea that can then be used for drip irrigating and foliar sprays for growers who want to cycle liquid nutrients and microbes efficiently. The Off-loader will handle up to 4 55 gallon HDPE fermenters at a time. Each fermenter will typically produce 5 or more gallons of tea. The tea will then be used diluted 1:100 in water. This is equivalent to 500 gallons of ready to apply nutrients per fermenter.
Space Requirements:
The area designated for processing is remarkably small. Fermenters have a small foot print as does the shredder. We recommend processing on a cement floor. After the fermenters have reached the end point at 7 to 10 days, growers will then need to mix that bio-pulp with soil. This is normally done by applying it to the surface at a rate of 10 pounds per square foot and tilling it so that it is mixed with soil and covered with a few inches of soil. The soil can then be used for planting after 14 days.
Getting Started with a Quote:
Bokashicycle will provide to the grower a recommended set up for processing all waste based on the information provided. It is up to the grower to provide space, electrical, water, and moving equipment capable of handling the volume of waste they generate. The quote will include the cost of equipment, number of fermenters, and amount of culture mix needed to process all waste efficiently. Growers will be responsible for shipping charges and installation costs. Generally installation is accomplished in a single day and involves laying out the equipment for a smooth operation.
Quote Request:
Please provide us with your contact information and preferences by completing the Quote Request Form. Send a scan quote request to support@bokashicycle.com , or FAX to 800.713.8640.
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Thank you for providing us with the information needed for a quote. We will respond with a quote including all the equipment required for processing and sufficient Bokashi culture mix for 6 months operation based on the lbs per week estimate of MMJ waste.
Let Bokashicycle show you how easy it is to get started. Call 800.714.2130
Bokashi is used worldwide and reduces our dependency on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
