Kitchen Organics Service

Transcription

1 Kitchen Organics Service

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3 Introducing the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters Kitchen Organics Service The Kitchen Organics Service is a significant waste reduction initiative by the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, to encourage and support the recycling of household food and organic waste. In Australia, it is estimated that 13 million tonnes of organic material ends up in landfill every year. Food waste makes up about 44% of household residual waste that ends up in landfill. Food scraps are a valuable resource that can be turned into nutrient rich compost. Depositing our food waste to landfill, misses a significant environmental opportunity to minimise waste and add organic material back into our soils, storing carbon and improving the productivity of our land. By collecting and recycling organic material from gardens and kitchens across our City, the Council and the community, will be working together to minimise the amount of organic waste going to landfill. When sent to landfill, organic materials break down slowly and produce leachates that can contaminate groundwater. The decomposing organic matter in landfill also creates methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas. Kitchen Organics Basket and Compostable Liner Bags The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters is providing all households with a ventilated Kitchen Organics Basket and a roll of compostable liner bags. The basket and compostable bags make recycling food and organic waste easy. This system ensures separate storage of food waste from other household waste, which can be cleanly and easily deposited in your Green Organics Bin, along with your organic garden waste. Kitchen Organics Baskets and Compostable Liner Bags Each household will be supplied with: a Kitchen Organics Basket a roll of Compostable Liner Bags (150 liners per roll - a year s supply*) *The compostable liner bags should be changed every 2-3 days to minimise risk of odour generated from the gradual decomposition of food waste. Based on this, the initial supply of liner bags will last for approximately one year. Large families and households that generate a large volume of food scraps, may need to replace the liner bags more frequently. A second supply of liner bags is scheduled to be delivered to households in April Additional rolls of compostable liner bags may be purchased from the Council or local hardware stores prior to April 2013 if necessary.

4 The Ins & Outs of Kitchen Organics! For the Kitchen Organics Service to work effectively, it is important to understand what constitutes household and food organic waste, so that the material that is sent for composting via our Green Organics Bins is not contaminated with any incorrect waste products. The following information provides an overview of the Ins and Outs of Kitchen Organics waste items which can go IN your Kitchen Organic basket and waste items that must be left OUT. ONLY USE THE COMPOSTABLE BAGS! Plastic bags, or bags labelled biodegradable, must never be used as an alternative to the compostable bags supplied by the Council. The supplied bags are made from corn starch and are 100% compostable, which conforms to the Australian Standard AS4736, meeting the requirements for compost recycling.

5 What goes in the Kitchen Organics Basket... Fruit & vegetables (whole or scraps) Dairy products (yoghurt, cheese, butter) Meat scraps & bones (cooked or raw) Egg shells, seafood scraps & oyster shells Cake and bread scraps Coffee grounds Tea bags (including tags) Citrus Corncobs Tissues & paper towel Hair Flowers Please do NOT put these items in the Kitchen Organics Basket... Plastic bags (even degradeable) Cling wrap & alfoil Cork Cigarette butts or ash Vacuum dust Dishcloths & sponges Nappies and sanitary items Sharps Medical waste Liquids and hot food must not be put in the Kitchen Organics Basket.

6 The Q & A of Kitchen Organics Why has the Council given me a Kitchen Organics Basket and liner bags? Together, the Council and the community can turn this environmental problem into a valuable compost resource. Food waste trials undertaken by several Councils have demonstrated that the ventilated basket and compostable liner bag system, is the most user-friendly and reduces odours. The use of appropriate compostable liner bags is critical to prevent contamination of organic waste, therefore the Council is assisting residents by supplying the correct liner bags. Where should I put my Kitchen Organics Basket? The Kitchen Organics Basket is designed to be placed on your kitchen bench top to allow for ventilation. It is important to keep it away from direct sunlight (not in front of a window). Placing the basket inside a cupboard may limit ventilation and thereby increase the chance of odour. Will my kerbside bin collections change? No, the kerbside collection cycle will not change. Your general waste (red lid) bin will continue to be collected weekly and the organic waste (green lid) bin and recycling (yellow lid) bin will be collected on alternate fortnights, as usual. What are the compostable liner bags made of? The compostable liner bags are made of cornstarch and vegetable oils. When commercially composted, the bags break down in around 30 days. As the bags are designed to break down readily, their strength may be reduced if they are not stored appropriately. Your roll of bags is best stored in a cool, dark, dry place, so that it lasts for the full year. How strong are the compostable bags? Bag splitting can occur, but there are some important tips to prevent this from occurring: The bags should be stored in a cool, dark and dry place. Allow hot food to cool before placing it in the bag. Place a paper towel in the bottom of the bag to soak up any liquid. Allow wet food to drain prior to placing it in the bag. What if I already have a compost or worm farm in my garden? If you have an existing compost or worm farm, you may choose to continue with this process and use the Kitchen Organics Basket for waste that is often not suitable for home compost, such as citrus, meat, dairy, eggs and seafood shells. The cornstarch bags take longer to breakdown in backyard compost systems, so it is recommended that the contents are emptied from the bags into your home compost system to prevent anaerobic conditions.

7 Will the food waste cause odours in my Green Organics Bin? The compostable liner bags allow the food to breathe, so it develops less odours than it would if it were loose in the Green Organics Bin or in a plastic bag in your red lid bin. However, there is always the potential for odours to develop with any waste system. Use the following tips to help prevent odours in your Green Organics Bin: Freeze meat and seafood scraps until bin collection day, then place in the liner bag and into the your Green Organics Bin. Place your Green Organics Bin out to the kerb for collection every fortnight, even if it is not completely full. What if I do not have a Green Organics Bin? If you do not have a Green Organics Bin, or if you have an old green bin that cannot be repaired, the Council will provide a new one upon request (free of charge). The Council can also remove and dispose of your old Green Organics Bin, which will be recycled. Please note that each household may only put out one Green Organics Bin per fortnight, unless an Additional Service Permit for an additional bin is obtained from the Council. We live in a group of units / townhouses and we don t have Green Organics Bins. What should we do? The Council recommends that owners and/or residents of groups of units and townhouses co-ordinate the sharing of Green Organics Bins for residents who want to utilise the Kitchen Organics Service. What if I don t want the Kitchen Organics Basket? It is not compulsory to use the Kitchen Organics Service. If you do not want to use the Kitchen Organics Basket, please return it to the Council, along with the liner bags. If you are unable to return the Kitchen Organics Basket and liner bags to the Council, please contact the Council on to discuss alternative collection arrangements. Enquiries For further enquiries about: What to put in your Kitchen Organics Basket The supply of Green Organics Bins Second Green Organics Bin collection permits Please contact the Council on

8 How to use your Kitchen Organics Basket 1. Line your Kitchen Organics Basket with a compostable liner bag. 2. Place any household organic waste and food scraps into the lined basket. 3. Make sure you know the Ins & Outs of Kitchen Organics (see inside for more details). 4. When full or after 2-3 days, knot the top of the liner bag to seal the contents and carefully remove the bag from the basket. 5. Place the bag in your Green Organics Bin along with any garden organic waste. 6. Wheel your Green Organics Bin out to the kerb for collection every fortnight, even if it is not full. City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters 175 The Parade, Norwood SA 5067 T F