Food and garden waste to get a bin of their own in Boroondara
An inner eastern council is hoping to more than halve its landfill dumping with the introduction of a new bin. Residents were loud and clear in wanting the change, which is set to start in May.
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Boroondara residents will have to get used to a new weekly regime of which bin to put out in as part of a plan to halve the amount of items going into landfill.
The new service, which is called Food Organics Garden Organics and starts May 4, will allow people to put food and garden waste in a dedicated bin.
The material will then be processed into soil conditioning products for use in agriculture and horticulture, instead of going into landfill.
Boroondara Mayor Cynthia Watson said residents were loud and clear in their desire for keeping waste out of landfill, labelling it “a top priority”.
“The average general waste bin in Boroondara contains 46 per cent food waste and 6 per cent garden waste,” she said.
“(The service) will divert up to 19,000 tonnes of waste from landfill each year and reduce the emission of harmful greenhouse gases.”
Ten Victorian councils already use FOGO, with another 10 planning to introduce it this year. The financial impact is minimal.
Monash University climate scientist Dr Ailie Gallant said an average Boroondara rubbish bin was the source of 900kg of annual greenhouse gas emissions.
By removing food, green waste and paper products, emissions could drop by up to 79 per cent.
She said Boroondara was not alone in food waste, with Australians throwing away 3.2 million tonnes of food a year.
The council will provide households with a free kitchen caddy bin, made from recycled plastic, with 100 per cent compostable liners to store food scraps such as fish, meat, raw bones, bread, dairy, vegetables and fruit. The caddy can then be emptied into the FOGO bin.
Residents without a green waste bin will receive a new 120 litre FOGO bin, while orange lids on green waste bins will be changed to the new lime green lids.
The FOGO and recycling bins will be collected weekly once the new service starts, while general waste will swap to a fortnightly collection due to the expected usage of the new bins.
“We have to be smarter about how we manage our waste and limit the pollution we cause,” Cr Watson said.
“The best way to do this is to stop putting food waste into the general waste bins, which is ultimately sent to landfill.”
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The new system is for all single houses and blocks with up to four units, covering 87 per cent of homes, with the rest to change over by June 30, 2021.
For information on the service and for tips to reduce creating waste, visit boroondara.vic.gov.au/fogo