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This was published 7 years ago
Green bins may lead to separating food waste from our rubbish
By Georgina Connery
Three kerbside bins may only be a taster.
Households could soon be asked to collect food waste in a separate bin if the ACT government moves forward with a waste policy it is considering.
ACT Minister for Transport and City Services Meegan Fitzharris said food separation was on the government's radar. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Minister for Transport and City Services, Meegan Fitzharris said separating food waste was "on the government's radar" at the launch of the first green bins collection in Weston on Tuesday.
ACT NOWaste director Michael Trushell said a recent national round table discussion had fleshed out the idea which could significantly reduce the ACT's growing waste generation.
The first green waste collection in Weston.Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
"There is tremendous opportunity in that space," he said.
Getting organic and food materials out of the household waste red bin meant more of its contents could be recycled and diverted from land fill.
"If you get organics out of your landfill waste you have less issues around odour, leachate and less methane being generated."
ACT has the second highest per capita rate of waste production in the country, after Western Australia, with Canberrans creating close to 2.5 tonnes per resident.
Lis Stinziani of Weston welcomes the introduction of green waste collection services in the ACT. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Mr Trushell said looking at new strategies was essential, however it was early days.
Any future launch would hinge on national cooperation and testing how the public adapted to separate and sorting more at the front end.
Minister Fitzharris said uptake for the new green bin garden waste service had been strong with 6000 homes so far participating.
Weston resident Lis Stinziani is remodelling her yard and said the green bins would save her a few trips carting lawn trimmings, garden waste and leaf litter to the tip.
"We are doing a lot of gardening and had to hire a skip for all the ivy," she said. "It doesn't help with big jobs but everyday jobs all the pruning, weeding it's really good."
A sticker under the bin lid reminds householders what cannot go in the bins including food, sawdust, animal waste, timber, rocks and soil, stumps and logs, or plastics.
Corkhill Bros managing director said the clear labelling aimed to prevent contamination and ensure the quality of landscaping products created from the collected green waste.
"They have very good systems with cameras inside the back of the truck so they can see when there has been a contaminated bin tipped in," he said. "A sticker is put on the bin straight away and the owners are notified."
ACT NOWaste director Michael Trushell said user education was a priority in opt-in service and would be essential for any future food separation policy.
"The pilot is really to get a sense of the community's ability to adapt to what is a fairly strict decontamination policy," he said.
Green waste bins are proposed for Belconnen and Tuggeranong in mid-2018. Central Canberra, Woden and Molonglo from mid-2019 and Gungahlin and Hall to start in mid-2020.
For those in the initial pilot catchment area it is not too late.
Register for a bin by visiting actgreenwaste.jjrichards.com.au or call JJ Richards & Sons on 6270 5000. A one-off registration fee of $50 will be required at the time of registering and concession card holders are exempt from the payment.