Residents in townships across the Campaspe Shire are being asked to select their kitchen food scrap caddy, to help move their food waste from the kitchen to their kerbside green bin service.
Mayor, Cr Adrian Weston said council’s existing garden waste service is being expanded from 1 July to include food waste, collected through the fortnightly kerbside collection.
“About 6,200 households across the shire have a garden waste service and will receive a letter asking them to select their preferred free food scrap caddy by 31 May,” Cr Weston said.
“Three options are being offered, a closed food scrap caddy, an aerated food scrap caddy, or residents may choose not to receive either caddy and to use their own container.”
In addition to households with an existing green bin service, a further 6,000 residents in townships will receive a letter asking if they would like to take up the service, at an annual cost of $54.90, as well as selecting their preferred free food scrap caddy.
“With food waste making up around 37 per cent of household waste, this may allow some residents to move to a smaller waste bin, and save,” the Mayor added.
“Removing this significant component from the waste steam will also go a long way to reducing waste to landfill and reducing our landfill fees. More importantly, it will provide a good environmental outcome as organic material produces greenhouse gases as it breaks down in landfill.”
More than 40 councils across Victoria have now moved to a food and garden waste service.
“We are proud to be joining this group of councils with the initiative representing waste management best practice in Australia,” Cr Weston said.
“All food and garden waste will be turned into compost by local Stanhope business, Biomix, to be used on gardens, parks and farms.”
From 1 July, all food scraps can be added to the green bin, this includes fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, seafood, meat, bones, dairy products, bread, cereal, pasta and rice as well as all leftover food – cooked and raw.
Residents are being asked to make their selection by 31 May with their caddy choice to be delivered in June, ready for food scraps to be added from 1 July.
A community survey, both online and by phone, in December last year has helped council staff in refining the changes to the green bin service.
“Data from the survey, as well as input from five community focus groups, has been used to develop a program suitable for our residents.” Cr Weston said.
