Keep your green waste clean

Published: 30 Apr 2021 12:20pm

Residents across the Wagga Wagga LGA are being encouraged to think about their composting habits during this year’s International Compost Awareness Week, which runs from 2-8 May.

The week aims to put the spotlight on the importance of composting and the long-term benefits of organics recycling.

Council introduced the green-lid food organics and garden organics (FOGO) kerbside collection service in April 2018, with the composting service provided by the Carrathool-based processor Worm Tech Pty Ltd.

Gregadoo Waste Management Facility Manager Geoff Pym said the minimum amount of contamination in FOGO is crucial to providing a good quality finished product.

“The single message we’d like to say to residents of Wagga Wagga is keep your green waste clean,” Mr Pym said. “There are some good habits we’d like to see everyone take up.

“If you’re getting rid of food that’s passed its ‘use-by date’, remove it from its plastic bag, wrapping or container before putting it in the kitchen caddy or green compostable liner and FOGO bin.

“When you’re doing a garden clean-up, don’t put in rocks, cement or your gardening tools and make sure you remove any bags you’ve been using to collect grass clippings.

“The bottom line is that our FOGO materials need to be as clean and green as possible and that’s what we require for our composting operations.”

When Council adopted the FOGO system, it budgeted on receiving 10,000 tonnes through the Gregadoo facility to go to composting.

This year, due to the growth of vegetative material from the wet spring and summer, it is now approaching 15,000 tonnes.

“That’s 15,000 tonnes out of the landfill and instead is going to be aerobically composted by Worm Tech rather than anaerobically digested in the landfill which creates methane, which is a greenhouse gas,” Mr Pym said.

“It’s a positive outcome for council and the environment.”

If you have any queries about it, check out the Frequently Asked Questions and Waste Guides on Council’s website at wagga.nsw.gov.au/waste