By Tate Papworth
Brimbank residents have even more incentive to embrace their greener side.
The council has introduced a new home composting program, which offers rebates on composting equipment, in the hope it will make recycling food scraps at home a viable option and stop them being sent directly to landfill.
The council is offering a $50 rebate on the purchase of compost bins, however this will be capped at 300 households per financial year.
Residents will also have access to educational programs and support materials to help get started on their home composting system.
Mayor Lucinda Congreve said it was a step in the right direction.
“So much of the waste we throw out is food waste – making up almost half of our average household rubbish bin,” she said.
“We want to encourage the community to get onboard and discover how easy it is to create their own soil and fertiliser at home, all while doing their bit for the environment.”
She said the program would go a long way to reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.
“All food scraps including kitchen leftovers, paper towels, meat, dairy, fruit and vegetable scraps can go into a home composting bin and help reduce our household waste.
“Each year Victorian households throw out 250,000 tonnes worth of food scraps. By introducing a home composting program, it’s estimated that every household that composts at home will divert an average of three kilograms of food waste per week, or approximately 156 kilograms per household per year.
“Rather than going to landfill, we’re able to turn this food and garden waste into useful compost for improving our garden soil and growing healthy gardens.”
For more details on how to apply for your $50 rebate visit brimbank.vic.gov.au/homecomposting or call 9249 4000.
