In a nut-shell, organic material that goes into the green-lidded bin includes food scraps, paper-based products and general garden waste.
It is important to separate your organic waste from your red lidded general waste so instead of it ending up in landfill it is turned into compost. It’s the little things that make the biggest difference.
WHERE DOES IT GO?
WHY SEPARATE ORGANICS?
A-Z Of What belongs in organics
ORGANICS – WHAT GOES WHERE?
BAGS-WHATS THE DIFFERENCE?
Organic material collected in your green-lidded organics bin gets turned into quality compost. This is a valuable resource for the agriculture, horticulture and viticulture industry.
When organic material is not composted and is instead buried in landfill, it adds pressure on already-limited landfill space and causes methane build up in our environment.
Organics is easy. Here are some tips to help make the most of your green-lidded organics bin.
It’s amazing how far we’ve come and how we’re now able to turn our leftovers into organic goodness for our farmers. It’s time to sort our waste properly! Utilise your Kitchen Caddy and Compostable Liners as they are a clean and easy way to collect organics, especially indoors!
What’s Organic?
In a nut-shell, all food and vegetable scraps, peelings, leftovers, meat and dairy can go into the organics bin (along with the nut shell!). An added benefit of the organics bin is that all collected material will eventually become quality compost that will become a valuable resource for the agriculture, horticulture and viticulture industry.
The more organic material that is recycled the less methane gas is produced, as well as significantly reducing the pressure on our already limited landfill space.
Compostable is defined as materials that break down and return to the environment, which provides the environment with nutrients once completely decomposed.
The Halve Waste Council approved green compostable liners are specially made to decompose along with the organic material they contain. This organic material is then turned into quality compost.
Degradable plastics contain additives, usually heavy metals, which assist the material to disintegrate over a number of years.
Unfortunately these bags are considered a contaminate for our organics collection services. Organic waste in degradable bags will not be accepted through Council collection services.
Biodegradable can be defined as materials that break down and return to the environment.
However, this material must completely break down and decompose within a short time frame – approximately a year or less. These bags do not meet the strict requirements of being compostable for our organics collection service. Organic waste in biodegradable bags will not be accepted through Council collection.
The environmental benefit of biodegradable products is that they can reduce waste build up within landfills over time. Most plastics are not biodegradable and will therefore remain in our environment for many decades.
Single use plastic bags cannot be used in your kitchen caddy or placed in your organic bin. Using plastic bags will contaminate your organic material.
Plastic bags can only be disposed of in your red-lidded bin.
They’re convenient and easy to use.
Kitchen Caddies (bench top ‘mini-bins’) are available to all households. These are a clean and easy way to collect your food scraps, coffee grinds, tea bags, paper towel and tissues, this is your daily organic material which is in your home. The Kitchen caddies come with an annual supply of Council approved Halve Waste compostable liners that can be tied up when full and placed directly into the green-lidded organics bin.
All residents in 3 bin council areas are provided with a year’s supply of Council approved green compostable liners annually. Please remember that the compostable liners supplied by your local Council are the only liners that can be used. Biodegradable, degradable or normal plastic bags or bin liners DO NOT DECOMPOSE and can actually contaminate the contents of the green-lidded organics bin. Compostable bags from your council will have the AS 4736 Australian standard logo.
These liners have a shelf life of approximately 12 months so if your roll starts breaking or disintegrating, please start your new roll.
An array of compostable packaging is now hitting the market such as compostable cups, mail bags and cooler pouches. These compostable items are not accepted in the green-lidded bin as they do not meet the strict requirements for our organics collection service. These items actually contaminate the contents, so please leave them out.
If you run out of liners, you can line your Kitchen Caddy with paper towel, newspapers or empty organic materials straight into your green-lidded organics bins. Small rolls (25 liners) are also available, free of charge, from your local Council.
Remember you do receive an annual supply of liners every year, these are dropped at your household every March-April.
Halve Waste was founded by Albury City Council, City of Wodonga, Federation Council and the Shires of Greater Hume and Indigo.
The Halve Waste program implements local solutions to reduce all wastes to landfill by 80% by 2030, which aligns with the State Government targets.
As a region, we all support the goals of Halve Waste and collaborate to achieve these goals.
You can view the full list of councils who are part of the Halve Waste initiative here.
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