Redlands Coast residents urged to compost for the future

Redlands Coast residents have been encouraged to “compost for the future” during International Composting Awareness Week, which continues until Saturday.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said home composting and subscribing to Council’s green waste bin service were easy ways residents could significantly help Redlands Coast’s progress towards becoming a zero-waste community.

“Council is committed to reducing organic waste to landfill as we work towards a zero-waste future for our naturally wonderful Redlands Coast but we need as many residents as possible to help us make it happen,” Cr Williams said.

“While many residents are already on board, we know that together we can do so much better to prevent waste going to landfill as almost half of what Redlands Coast residents have been putting in their red bin is organic material that can be reused in our gardens.

“In 2020-21, this amounted to about 13,000 tonnes of green waste and 7800 tonnes of food waste which ended up in landfill when it could have been recycled.

“By getting into home composting and taking advantage of Council’s green waste bin service, we can significantly reduce that for the benefit of our environment and our future.”

To support residents to reduce organic waste going to landfill, Council offers its green waste bin service with no establishment fee (in most circumstances). Annual service charges apply and multiple green waste bins are allowed.

“Already, about 200kg of domestic green waste is being recovered for every person each year through Council’s kerbside green waste collection service or from our recycling and waste centres,” Cr Williams said.

“That is a massive amount of resources that are saved and turned into healthy compost but we would like to recover much more.”

Cr Williams said worm farms, bokashi bins and other compost bins were available for purchase from IndigiScapes at Capalaba to help residents on their composting journey.

“Council is committed to supporting residents to compost green waste,” she said.

“We are very focused on reducing food waste and composting in our own operations, with our IndigiScapes centre collecting about 2.5 tonnes of food waste and compostable packaging from its café since February 2021 which was sent it away for composting.

The IndigiScapes Eco Markets also recently trialled the use of compost bins on site in an effort to save as much as possible from landfill as every bit helps.

“By being waste aware, by composting, correctly using Council’s green waste bin service and ensuring you do not contaminate your yellow-lid recycling bin with green waste are simple ways residents can do their bit to realise a zero-waste future.

“We’re encouraging residents during Compost Awareness Week to follow our social media channels where they have a chance to win one of five worm farms valued at $89.95 each.”

Residents are also encouraged to use the ShareWaste app and website which connects people who want to recycle their food scraps and other organics with neighbours who are already composting or worm-farming.

To find out more about International Composting Awareness Week go to compostweek.com.au. Search green waste at redland.qld.gov.au for a wealth of information on waste, recycling and composting, as well as how to sign up to Council’s green waste bin service.