China to breed earthworms to recycle kitchen waste

BEIJING - An environmental group in China is planning to breed earthworms in a bid to recycle kitchen waste in several cities across the country.

Friends of Nature - one of the oldest environmental groups in the country - has recruited 21 families for the breeding purpose in Zhengzhou in Henan province, Xinhua reported Sunday.

Guo Mingliang, the programme initiator, said he has leased a patch of waste land on the banks of the Yellow River running through the city, where he plans to showcase the process of biological waste treatment.

“This is our earthworm farm, as big as two soccer fields. We use half of it to raise earthworms and the rest for growing organic vegetables with the worms’ dirt,” he said.

“If the scheme is successful, we will lobby the government to support our green community project,” Guo said.

He, however, said more effort should be made to create awareness among the people, as it was not easy to convince them to breed earthworms.