Are you thinking of significantly reducing your waste collection charge, by commencing home recycling of your kitchen waste this summer? - A great idea, and one that has many benefits, but beware:

Consider the following:
• you do not need special worms
• you do not need special starter food ingredients
• you do not need special bedding or matting In fact, you do not need anything special.

What you basically require are:
• Common (throughout Ireland) red worms. (Eisinia fetida, the striped red worm and/or Eisenia andrei, the non striped red worm). These worms are also readily known as; manure worms, tiger worms, or brandlings. These are the worms that feed on decaying organic matter, and are prolific breeders, hence their success in this natural process. There should be no need to purchase worms - free supply is possible.
• Food waste. Available throughout the year from your kitchen. All kitchen food waste can be added, cooked or raw. (Most families of 4-5 would throw out at least 250kg. of food waste alone each year.)
• Paper. Added by degrees to the food waste. Any paper is suitable, as long as it will absorb water.
• A suitable container. This should be designed for all year outdoor use, and not be prone to allowing the contents to freeze in the winter. Excellent results are obtained with a permanent structure, with the added benefit of it being landscaped into your back garden, handy to the kitchen door, for deposit of regular small quantities of food waste materials.

SOME NOTES OF CAUTION
The container should be rodent proof, and have a rodent proof bottom.

Waste food recycling should be simple, inexpensive and be extremely easy for you to implement and understand.

Don’t confuse kitchen waste recycling/composting with garden waste composting. Kitchen food waste composting is known as vermicomposting, and all your food waste materials can be added. For a continuous operation with fewer problems, do not odd any garden waste materials to the vermicomposting container. Keep these wastes for a separate system of composting. Seriously question any recommendation to mix food and garden wastes. Limiting the vermicomposting container to your kitchen food waste, will allow consistency of practice throughout the year, and not be subject to seasonal inputs - especially freshly cut lawn clippings, which will generate significant heat.