The bokashi composting system in CEP has quickly become a successful sustainability initiative — turning campus coffee waste into a powerful soil improver. Every year, coffee stations produce tonnes of nutrient-rich coffee grounds, which are often discarded. Thanks to CEP’s investment in bokashi composting, these grounds are now being transformed into fertile compost to nourish the Chaplaincy Garden, supporting the Re:Gen team’s ongoing biodiversity and food-growing projects.
Bokashi is a fermentation-based process that converts organic waste into a soil-enhancing material. Unlike traditional composting, which relies on aerobic decomposition, bokashi uses beneficial microorganisms — a mix of bacteria, yeasts, and fungi — to ferment food waste in airtight containers. This approach retains almost all the carbon, energy, and nutrients in the waste, preventing greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient loss. Once added to soil, the fermented material quickly integrates into the soil ecosystem, energizing microbes and earthworms and enriching the soil with valuable organic matter.
This system is particularly well-suited to CEP, where small amounts of coffee waste accumulate gradually. Because bokashi containers only need to be emptied once full — typically around once a month — the process is efficient and low-maintenance. The resulting compost is used directly in the Chaplaincy Garden behind Weeks, where it helps grow fruit, vegetables, and flowers. In its first five months of operation, this initiative diverted over 50 litres of food waste from bins and put to productive use.
The bokashi programme has already demonstrated how simple, innovative waste solutions can have a big impact. By closing the loop between coffee cups and garden beds, it showcases how our community can work together to reduce waste and cultivate a greener, more resilient campus.