Food waste
Food waste can be disposed of in landfill bins in the ACT. However, there are many options that offer better environmental outcomes such as food rescue, composting or worm farming. Food waste cannot go in ACT green waste bins.
Disposal options
- Home compost bin or worm farm
- Bokashi bin
- Capital Scraps Compost
- ShareWaste to connect locally with others seeking food waste for compost.
- For commercial food rescue and collection of perishable and non-perishable foods consider:
- OzHarvest Canberra Food Rescue Ph: 6247 6173
- For larger volumes of food scraps contact:
- Global Worming Ph: 0408 496 767 or globalworming@mail.com
- Goterra
- Landfill bin
Additional information
- The ACT Government provides information on how to reduce your food waste at home with inspiring ideas, recipes, facts and resources.
- The Canberra Environment Centre run workshops on composting and food waste reduction and sell a range of composting systems at a reduced price.
- Visit the Everyday Climate Choices website for more information on composting.
- Residents in Belconnen, Bruce, Cook and Macquarie are part of a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) pilot. Households participating in the pilot can compost food scraps along with garden waste in their FOGO bin.
Why?
When food waste gets sent to landfill it decomposes without oxygen. This produces methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Composting is an aerobic (with oxygen) process which reduces methane production and creates a natural alternative to chemical fertiliser, (the excess of which runs into waterways and can be harmful to fish and other aquatic species). Compost increases nutrients in your soil, wards off plant diseases and improves soil structure.