Ten local government organisations will receive more than $745,000 in funding from the South Australian Government to encourage food waste recycling.
The funding is part of a Green Industries SA programme which aims to divert more kitchen scraps from household waste bins.
Councils will receive a subsidy for the cost of bench-top containers, compostable bags and production of householder education material.
Ian Hunter, Sustainability, Environment and Conservation Minister, said too much food waste was still ending up in landfill.
“An average household throws out about 3.3 kg of food scraps every week which is a criminal loss of a valuable resource,” Mr Hunter said.
“Everything – from dairy, shell fish and meat scraps and bones – can be thrown into the bench-top container then turfed into the garden organics bin for fortnightly collection.
“This food waste is then sent off for reprocessing into compost and used in South Australia’s vineyards, farms, parks and gardens.”
Councils that have been awarded funding include Fleurieu Regional Waste Authority, which received up to $62,796 to introduce and maintain a food waste diversion system using a ventilated basket and compostable bags for 3,107 dwellings.
Councils maintaining an area wide food waste diversion system using a ventilated basket and compostable bags include:
- City of Burnside – up to $44,688 per annum over two years for 18,620 dwellings
- City of Holdfast Bay – up to $39,444 per annum over two years for 18,783 dwellings
- City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters – up to $40,416 per annum over two years for 16,923 dwellings
- City of Port Adelaide Enfield – up to $112,854 per annum over two years for 53,740 dwellings
- City of Prospect – up to $26,952 per annum over two years for 8,984 dwellings
• Councils with opt-in (optional) food waste diversion system using a ventilated basket and compostable bags:
- City of Mount Gambier – $8,824.50 for 2,000 dwellings
- City of Marion – $8,749.30 for 2,000 dwellings (plus 150 compost bins)
- Fleurieu Regional Waste Authority (on behalf of the Kangaroo Island Council) – $2,335 for 240 dwellings
- City of Tea Tree Gully – $45,200 for 5,000 dwellings
Green Industries SA’s Kerbside Performance Plus (Food Organics) Incentives programme encourages councils to implement systems which assist with the diversion of food waste from landfill.
Since 2010, some 150,000 households have introduced food waste recycling systems with the support of State Government funding.
Blending food scraps with kerbside green organic material improves the quality and nutrient value of the processed compost.
Compost applied to soils improves plant growth, increases plant vigour, improves soil conditions and reduces soil moisture loss.