City offers waste reduction rebate

CITY of Ballarat staff are aiming to make it easier for everyone to turn their kitchen scraps into compost.

The municipality has partnered with Compost Revolution which helps to provide residents with compost bins and worm farm products at up to 40 per cent off the retail price.

City of Ballarat mayor Cr Des Hudson said giving residents more incentive to compost their food waste will keep more food scraps out of landfill and instead allow for more soil and fertiliser.

“Composting enables residents to nurture their soil to grow lush green gardens and delicious food,” he said.

“Food waste makes up more than 40 per cent of our household waste, which adds up to an estimated 9500 tonnes of food that is thrown out by our residents every year and ends up in landfill.

“The City of Ballarat is committed to reducing waste going to landfill and creating a circular economy, that keeps materials in use for as long as possible.”

The rebate is aimed at complementing the municipality’s introduction of new weekly Food Organics and Garden Organics, or FOGO, bins to be made available for kerbside collection next year.

Established through three local government areas in Sydney in 2009, Compost Revolution expanded to the rest of Australia in 2011.

The program is estimated to have diverted nearly 50,000 tonnes of waste from landfill, and is now utilised in more than 90,000 homes across 75 municipalities.

The move follows the municipality’s recent partnership late last month with the Australian Food and Grocery Council to deliver a 12-month pilot program allowing residents to recycle their soft “scrunchable” plastics for kerbside pickup.

Residents can make use of the rebate via Compost Revolution’s Ballarat page.