2019-06-05
Since April this year, green bins have been now rolling out across all Canberra suburbs.
The ACT Greens have been calling on the Government to expand the green waste bin program to accept food waste – an important first step for the Government in the ‘War on Food Waste’.
“The Canberra community have been clear. For too long, food waste in our city has been left rotting in landfill, when it could better be composted to help us grow food and live more sustainably,” Greens MLA Caroline Le Couteur said today.
“This commitment today is an important first step. But the Greens know that there’s still so much more that the Government needs to do to tackle the ‘War on Food Waste’.
“While the Greens are pleased to see my motion passed today, it’s disappointing that the Government has delayed the start date for a food organics and garden organics (FOGO) collection service. An earlier roll out could have seen tens of thousands of tonnes of extra waste diverted from landfill. Clearly, this is something that the Canberra community would like to see happen sooner than later.
“The ACT Greens have called for specific actions on food waste in Parliamentary Agreements as far back as 2008. With still more to do, the Greens are keeping up the fight for more compost and less landfill in the ACT.”
Key statistics:
- More than a third (37%) of ACT residential rubbish bin contents are food waste, which ends up in landfill
- A composting site and a Food Organics and Garden Organics collection service in the ACT could see an estimated 40,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill each year;
- Almost half of local councils in Victoria have already implemented a Food Organics and Garden Organics collection service;
- Up to 80% of people living in apartments would like better options for food waste.
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