Did you know that last year the seven Northern Rivers councils including Clarence Valley recycled more than 42,000 tonnes of food and garden scraps into compost through our kerbside organics bins?
This compost is used by farmers to grow the food that ends up on our plates. Home gardeners also utilise this compost product. This food-cycle can keep coming around as long as we use our organics bins properly.
“Most people ‘do the right thing’ and put their food and organics waste in the green bin so it can be composted,” Manager Environment and Regulatory Services Scott Lenton said. “However, sometimes green organics bins contain other items, commonly plastic bags, that contaminate the organics and can result in the green waste load being disposed into the landfill. This is not a good outcome!
“Our customers with green organics bins are encouraged to only use compostable liners that meet the Australian Standard AS4736 and are lime green. There are some light green-coloured plastic bags in the supermarket aisles that are not suitable as organics bags, despite labelling that may suggest otherwise, and we cannot accept them in the compost.
“If in doubt, an alternative is to make your own kitchen organics bin liners using newspaper, or let your organics container go nude and store it in the fridge between emptying it into your green bin.
“Plastic bags are also a major contaminant in the yellow recycling bins. If residents use plastic bags to store their recyclables, we ask that they please empty the recyclables into the yellow bin, and place the plastic bags into the red bin, or better yet, reuse them.”
Fortunately JR Richards & Sons, who deliver Clarence Valley Council’s domestic waste service, have introduced new technology so truck drivers can detect contaminating items at the source for both their organics and recycling collection services. In the video below, take a ride with JR Richards & Sons organics waste truck driver Corey as he explains how the j-Track On Board System works:
What goes in your green bin?
- Dairy (including cheese and yoghurt)
- Meat, bones – cooked or raw
- Seafood
- Spoiled fruit, veggies and peelings
- Bread, pasta, rice
- Coffee grinds, tea bags/leaves
- Food soiled paper and cardboard (eg. pizza boxes, serviettes, paper towel and cardboard food containers)
- Wooden cutlery / chopsticks
- Garden pruning & clippings
- Small timber offcuts (untreated only)
Leave out:
- Treated timber
- Plastic bags
- Disposable nappies
- Glass
- Garden hoses
- Plastic pots
- Shade cloth
- General rubbish
HELPFUL TIPS to prevent smells occurring in your green organics bin:
- Keep the bin in the shade with the lid closed
- Wrap your food scraps in newspaper
- Layer your food scraps with other dry green waste such as lawn clippings and leaves
- Consider keeping your organics container in the fridge
- Freeze smelly foods like prawn shells until collection day
- Hose out your bin onto the garden or lawn after it has been emptied
⬛️ Join the Two Week Red Bin Challenge: From next Friday 15 September, Clarence Valley Council is participating in the Two Week Red Bin Challenge to reduce the volume of waste that goes to landfill. Throughout the challenge helpful tips and ideas will be shared that people can use in their homes and daily lives to make easy and lasting changes. Click here to join the challenge
For more information about your waste service, please visit the Clarence Valley Council website or download the Clarence Valley Waste App.
