Food recycling by councils

Lacehim

Our council on the Sunshine Coast are currently running a trial in our area where food & garden clippings are recycled rather than process to landfill.  Our council is predicting the local landfills being full in the next couple of years, 2014 I think they said.

We get another wheelie bin, and corn starch bags to put the food in.  All food can be put in, cook or not.  Just no big bones.

The trial has been a great success in our house, especially after out little dog died a few months ago who usually took care of the leftovers!!!  We do have a worm farm but they have a fuss diet and I'm not all that keen on composting (sorry not much of a gardener)

Does anyone know of any other councils that are conducting trials?

If anyone is interested I have more blurb from the council, and would be happy to post it up.  It's a pity it's only a 6 month trial, and they won't be going live or publishing the results until 2015!!!!

Lovey

Our local council (Eurobodalla) has had a 'green waste' pick up ever since I've lived here. They supply a wheelie bin, which is sized in between the garbage bin (really tiny) and the recycling bin (about 240l). They pick it up once a month, mulch it and then sell it. I'd rather that it was more regular, say fortnightly, as they charge you a fee to drop off the green waste at the tip  >:(. It is a good way of getting rid of weeds around the house though.

Lacehim

At the moment ours is weekly, so the smell isn't a big issues yet, especially if you put all the weeds in on top.  The bags are a bit small which doesn't help, but I'm sure they will be asking for feedback. From the council blurb they have bought special tarps that cover the refuse when it get to the tip.  I think this keeps the smell in as it biodegrades. Re bones they said small chicken bones are okay, no big bones. I was always told that you shouldn't compost cooked food.  Can't remember why.  Is that correct? Anway it's been good so far.  I will miss it when the trial period ends but I might keep the bin.  I will become a garden waste only bin.  I found it's good for weeds.

RichardM

on 1303901149:

At the moment ours is weekly, so the smell isn't a big issues yet, especially if you put all the weeds in on top.  The bags are a bit small which doesn't help, but I'm sure they will be asking for feedback. From the council blurb they have bought special tarps that cover the refuse when it get to the tip.  I think this keeps the smell in as it biodegrades. Re bones they said small chicken bones are okay, no big bones. I was always told that you shouldn't compost cooked food.  Can't remember why.  Is that correct? Anway it's been good so far.  I will miss it when the trial period ends but I might keep the bin.  I will become a garden waste only bin.  I found it's good for weeds.

I wish they'd do that here. They even want to charge us extra for a greenwaste bin here In regards for composting, you can theoretically compost anything (a whole pig can compost in <30 days given the right amount of moisture). I think the main reason for saying no to bones and cooked food is to stop attracting too many animals.

Lacehim

We have to pay for the bin once the trial ends.  $70 I think a year. The council are taking anything organic, apart from the big bones.  It's a great idea.  I really think more should be recycled though. Funny though, they keep saying their council landfills will be full by 2014, but don't seem to want to accelerate any of these new ideas.  Pity. I've grown more and more concerned about what we throw away these days.  I was watching the program AM suggested the other day "Blood, Sweat and Luxuries".  Some young idiot on there saying he throws away a pair of trainers every 3 weeks and buys a new pair!!!!  Nuts.  I also remember a program from the UK where they made a group of people live at a dump for a few weeks.  It was great...  but one fella only wore new undies... He would buy new ones, and throw them away once he had worn them.  He didn't last long from memory, went home.  Probably to get more undies!  ;D  Maybe he had never heard of a washing machine... It kinda scares me that these people exist!!!