Holdfast Bay applies for grant to be first SA council with weekly green bin collection
A seaside council would become the first in SA to implement a weekly green bin collection under a planned trial to get food scraps out of landfill. So what does it mean for your red or blue-lidded rubbish bins?
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Green bins would be collected weekly in the Holdfast Bay district under the first plan of its type in South Australia.
Early plans suggest it would begin with a trial servicing 500 homes in Somerton Park and Seacliff for a year, swapping collection of their red-lidded rubbish bins to fortnightly.
Holdfast Bay Council will apply for a $97,900 grant from Green Industries SA to help fund the trial, with the council stumping up a further $132,900 in cash and salaries subject to the application being successful.
Residents would have the choice to opt out of the trial.
They would also be able to apply for larger rubbish and recycling bins to cope with the decreased frequency of collection and offered $100 to switch from disposable nappies to modern cloth alternatives.
Yellow bins, for recycling, would continue to be collected fortnightly.
A project plan by the council said only 26 per cent of food waste – which is fully compostable – was currently being put in green bins.
Previous studies across Adelaide have found that around 40 per cent of the waste, by weight, being disposed of in red and blue bins is food scraps.
It also said rubbish bins were, on average, only 64 per cent full when collected.
According to the plan, the councils with the highest rates of recycling in the country – including Penrith in NSW and Melville in WA – had weekly green bin collections.
A total of 17 councils in NSW already offer the service.
Another report prepared by Holdfast Bay city assets and services general manager Howard Lacy said the council was already ahead of most Adelaide jurisdictions with 59 per cent of waste being diverted from landfill – compared to an average of 50 per cent.
Holdfast Bay Mayor Amanda Wilson said increasing the use of the green bin was the “easiest thing” people could do to reduce their carbon footprint.
“I know that if you’ve got green waste in your fridge, a lot of people think it’s easier to throw it in the general household bin but it’s simple to take the time to take the wrapping off and separate them out,” Mrs Wilson said.
“That waste can go in the organics bin and in turn become compost for farms and vineyards.”
She said the finer details of the trial could still be tweaked.
A surprise hike in the solid waste levy – which is charged by the State Government to dump waste at landfill – in last year’s State Budget from $100 to $140 put an extra $8.5 million strain on council budgets, causing many to jack up their rates beyond planned increases.
Analysis by The Advertiser last year found Adelaide councils could save $10 million in the levy if food scraps were eliminated from rubbish bins.
