Today we celebrate the unsung heroes of the soil — earthworms! These tiny powerhouses are vital for healthy ecosystems: they aerate the soil, boost drainage, and recycle nutrients that help plants grow. 🌱 This day honours Charles Darwin, who revealed their ecological importance in his 1881 book “The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Actions of Worms.”
Earthworms are also the champions of composting! ♻️ Through composting, they transform organic waste (food scraps and garden waste) into rich, fertile compost. Benefits of compost include:
- 🌾 Growing your own food and flowers, promoting circular and sustainable living
- 🌿 Enriching soil with natural nutrients for healthier plants
- 💧 Improving soil structure and water retention
- 🌍 Reducing municipal waste collection, leading to economic savings through lower handling and transport costs, and reducing emissions from waste trucks
Sustainability and climate action are at the heart of Dreamcatcher South Africa NPC. We are committed to supporting composting in communities. In 2010, we installed the first Green Johanna composters in Africa at Dreamcatcher tourism service enterprises. Green Johannas are enclosed composting units, ideally suited to South African conditions, and designed to handle food waste (including meat and fish), garden waste, and paper or cardboard.
Due to the success of the project and the continued low rates of composting in South Africa—combined with the growing impacts of climate change—we collaborated with Great Green Systems to acquire a batch of Green Johannas for distribution in Melkhoutfontein and Stilbaai at subsidised rates in 2024.
In Melkhoutfontein, we have tracked the impact of home composting over the past six months in a sample of 16 households. On average, each household composts about 3 kg of food waste per week, primarily vegetable and fruit peels, bones, and food scraps. Composting levels increase by around 25% during holiday periods. Garden waste, paper, and cardboard are also added to balance the compost. Participants report that they are reducing the amount of waste they put out for collection, preventing scavenging by dogs and seagulls, and saving money by buying fewer rubbish bags — all while producing free compost!
We are planning a similar follow-up study in Stilbaai starting November 2025.
You can find out much more on our dedicated composting pages.
