Bioenzyme: From Kitchen Waste to Cleaner
While our grandmothers could feed scarps of vegetables and fruits to cattle, those of us in cities rarely have that options. While composting is a great alternative that returns nutrients to the soil, another way to take care of peels and scarps- especially citrus peels and scraps- is to make Bioenzyme. This is a time-effective solution that’s also easy in the wallet for many as the resulting product is a cleaner that can be used around the house. While the cost-effectiveness obviously depends on what cleaner you’re currently using, Bioenzyme often stands out strong given that you can make it at home, use waste, and have a circular system in your kitchen.
All you need is scraps of organic material, some non sulfur-based sugar or jaggery or black molasses, and lots of water. You put them together in a container that allows for gases to expand, such as a reusable plastic bottle with a big base and mouth, and boom! In 3 months, you have your cleaner. But don’t worry, you don’t have to do this everyday for three months or spend a lot of time making this, as Bioenzyme making is like something we have started and left to ferment. Since that’s the process that leads to this cleaner that can also help plants.
How to make Bioenzyme
Keep peels stored, Megha Ahuja of ClimateWali recommends you store them in the freezer, until you’ve enough to create a ratio of 3:1:10 in this manner, 3 cups of peels: 1 portion of jaggery: 10 cups of water.
Now, for the first month you need to periodically open the solution to let the gases out, which is why it’s recommended you keep a mask or duppatta or scarf handy to cover your nose. While it’s not toxic as far as we know, reusable gloves and masks are always a safer choice than none.
After this first month, let it sit for two months in a dark corner and then filter it into a bottle to use. You can compost what solid material remains or send it to your city’s composting unit with your organic waste.
If there is white stuff or fermentation on top of the solution, do not fret, as that’s a sign of good harvest, according to experts on the internet. Many such experts including MiracleEnzymes on Instagram routinely host Bioenzyme making workshops, and if you want to test this out before making some yourself or use another Bioenzyme as a starter to speed up the process, you can always shop at ForestEnzymes, recommended by climate creator TheTrashySister.
Also check:- These Indian Companies are Turning Waste into Profit: An Indian Circular Economy
The impact of Bioenzyme
If you are on the fence about starting this process, despite it being something that is viable and adds value for you, because you’re unsure whether it’s actually having a significant impact, we decided to run the numbers for you.
- Less waste
Organic food waste doesn’t decompose in landfills, which is where it’ll go if your city doesn’t have a robust composting system. There it’ll release methane which will make this heat that we are toiling under worse.
- A case study by Building Better Partnerships found that using BioEnzyme leads to a 90% reducing in CO2 emissions during cleaning due to the 51% plastic reduction as it can either be made at home or shipped in light-weight plastic bottles. While this study was done in the UK, the benefits are not going to be none in India unless you’re using products like JaviEco’s paper packaged powder cleaners. Even then, the reduction of waste remains.
While the shift to a circular economy cannot happen by individual actions alone, such actions still hold merit, especially when mirrored by others, leading to community action- the true driver of change. To know more about sustainable and other news in India stay tuned to NB news.
