Food Scrap Recycling
In 2020, Council expanded the food scrap recycling service to all residents in the Council area. Thanks to a grant from Green Industries SA, Council delivered a kitchen caddy kit, including a roll of compostable bags, to all residents. A roll of 150 bags should last most households approximately 12 months.
Council currently provides an annual allocation of compostable bags to households using the food scrap system. These can be collected from the Council offices during office hours 172 Montacute Rd, Rostrevor. Additional rolls of bags can be purchased for $10.
In Your Language
From people living in units to large homes, with gardens or without. Even home composters may wish to use their green organics bin to dispose of organic waste not included in their backyard compost bin (e.g. meat, citrus, onions etc).
The kitchen basket and compostable bags are an easy and efficient way of recycling your food scraps through your green organics bin. Use your basket in the kitchen either on the bench top or a well ventilated area. When full, simply tie off the compostable bag and place it directly into your green organics bin. This material will then be sent to a commercial composting facility where it will be turned into high quality compost.
If you don’t have a garden, or live in units, you can still use the kitchen caddies. There are lots of useful tips to assist you and minimise any issues you may have.
Over 30% of household waste is food, much of which is sent to landfill. This equates to over 3,000 tonnes per year! Not only does this cost 85% more to send to landfill, it generates harmful gases when it rots as opposed to creating useful mulch for gardens and agriculture when it is placed into your green bin instead!
Collect all your food scraps and other compostable items such as coffee grounds, tea bags, tissues, paper towel, and even hair in the kitchen caddy, then place into your green organics bin for collection.
Food scraps can be placed in the green organics bin loose, wrapped in newspaper or in a compostable bag.
Tips for using the kitchen caddy system:
- Place in an easily accessible area in the kitchen that is well ventilated.
- Let hot food cool down before placing it in your container.
- Paper towel and tissues can be placed into your kitchen caddy and helps absorb moisture.
- Freeze meat and seafood until your bin collection day to avoid odours in warmer weather.
- Empty your container every few days into the green organics bin.
- If you do not want to use the kitchen caddy system for any reason, please return the kit to Council for someone else to use instead.
For more information about the system, please contact Bec Taylor on btaylor@campbelltown.sa.gov.au or 8366 9257.
In late 2020, our #giveanhour Waste Warriors helped pack and/or deliver kitchen baskets to households across the Council area.
If you require a new basket you can drop into the Council office to collect one today.
Compostable bags are made of plant materials and break down during the commercial composting process into non toxic components.
Compostable = water + carbon dioxide + biomass
Biodegradable bags simply have additives that over time will break the plastic down into smaller sized pieces which take many decades to disappear. Biodegradable bags are not compostable and will contaminate your green organics bin.
Biodegradable = smaller pieces of plastic
Only use compostable bags in your green organics bin. Look for the certified compostable symbol when purchasing bags or pick up a free roll of compostable bags from Council's offices (limit one roll per household per year).