Microhauler Vandra Thorburn wants to grow her nine-year-old business, Vokashi, which processes about 4 tons of organic waste a month on city-owned land near the Marine Park Golf Course in Brooklyn. She easily could handle 10 tons. “That’s where we want to get to,” Thorburn said.

Ms. Cornwell composts in her apartment using a Japanese method called bokashi. She pays $40 a month to a small company called Vokashi, which provides a five-gallon container and a mixture of bran and microbes. The mixture breaks down the food by fermenting it, so there is little smell. The company replaces the container each month.

…I loved that we were able to put meat, dairy and pretty much everything else into the Vokashi…

…Nobody wants rotting food or smells. It is dangerous and a health hazard. Being able to store food waste that is preserved rather than rotting is a game changer.

…the unobtrusive method produces soil that could fill community gardens or revitalize worn or contaminated soils around the city.