23 February, 2017

More Aucklanders converting to compost

Almost 10,000 Aucklanders have learnt the finer points of using their organic waste in the last 20 months, thanks to free composting workshops.

Auckland Council fully funds the Compost Collective workshops to enable residents reduce the amount of household rubbish sent to landfill.

Half of the average Auckland household rubbish bin contains compostable material; 40 per cent from food waste, 10 per cent from green garden waste.

Chair of the Environment and Community Committee Cllr Penny Hulse says ensuring this material doesn’t end up in landfill is an important step residents can take to protect the environment.

“Composting is a simple yet but really effective way to avoid filling the rubbish bin with food scraps. Instead I’d encourage people to return organic waste to the land by putting it to good use in the garden.”

Parul Sood, Auckland Council Waste Planning Manager, says there is no one-size-fits all approach to dealing with food and green waste.

“If you live in a small apartment a Bokashi system would probably be the best way to deal with food waste, while someone with a large garden may want to run a compost system and worm farm.”

The Compost Collective workshops will continue to run across the region in 2017 to explore the benefits of three different systems: worm farm, Bokashi or compost.

Spaces are limited so booking is highly recommended. For more information on these courses, go to compostcollective.org.nz

Three tips for composting

Think of your compost bin or worm farm as a pet: feed it the right things to help it thrive and avoid giving it foods that will make it sick.

From the ground to the ground: anything that was living at one time is great for compost bins. Think of leaves, vegetables and grass clippings.

Think outside the box: Did you know you can put old herbs and spices, dryer lint and even the odd latex balloon into a compost bin? Exploring the possibilities will help reduce waste heading to landfills.

ENDS

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