Feed your green bin the five food groups
Orange residents have embraced the use of the green food waste bin since it was introduced five years ago, but there is room for improvement.
Thousands of tonnes of green waste has been diverted away from landfill where it could then be used by farmers, orchardists and avid gardeners in the form of compost.
By using the green bin to its full potential, residents are contributing to the soil cycle and helping produce profitable crops for the region's food producers.
The green bins have been embraced by the city's gardeners and are often full of lawn clippings, prunings and leaves but there is still too much food waste going into the red bin.
Audits have shown that around a third of the waste in red bins is still food waste, which could be diverted away from landfill, and into compost production.
How much food waste do you put in your green bin?
The green bin can accept:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Meat, chicken, fish and shellfish
- All bones
- Dairy including cheese and milk
- Tea leaves
- Tea bags
- Coffee grounds
- Bread
- Rice
- Pasta
- Grains
- Cake
- Biscuits
The green bin can also take:
- Pizza boxes
- Soiled paper
- Leaves
- Flowers
- Small prunings
- Grass clippings
After it is sorted and shredded It is then piled in long rows to compost, where grease trap waste and sewerage sludge is added to it to increase the nutrient content.
- Keep your green waste bin in a shady spot
- Place a scraps bucket (caddy) in your kitchen to collect food scraps throughout the week
- Line your scraps bucket or bin with a newspaper liner or paper towel to help reduce odour and absorb fluids
- Freeze smelly foods (such as shellfish and meat) until bin day before disposing of them in the bin outside
- Use grass clippings to cover food waste in your outdoor bin each time you empty your scraps bucket into it.
Consultation has concluded
