War on Food Waste

Our garbage collection is getting greener - with food waste set to be turned into compost under a new council waste management plan.  And in a double win, the new system will cost ratepayers less.

Less garbage will be sent to landfill

Northern Beaches Council has signed a contract with waste management company SUEZ to process the entire contents of residents’ rubbish (red lid) bins. The process, which will be carried out at SUEZ’s Eastern Creek facility, will first remove any recyclable plastics or paper products. Organic matter will then be separated out and turned into compost material for use in agriculture and mine site revegetation. 
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The council originally envisaged residents sorting their own food waste and disposing of it in the green lid garden vegetation bin along with plant and lawn cuttings.  However the new strategy means all food waste will be recovered, with no need to rely on residents doing the right thing. 

The council selected SUEZ in August last year as a result of a tender process, with the new service to start in July 2019.

Council Deputy Mayor and President of Good For Manly Candy Bingham welcomed the extra recycling step. 

“The new process will recycle 70% of what gets thrown into the garbage - whether it’s food waste, or paper and plastics that are in the wrong bin,” Cr Bingham said.  “That’s a huge amount of material diverted from landfill and retuned to the economy.  

“This is a major step by the council to recycle as much as we can, but there’s still a big role for individuals to play, in not throwing away so much in the first place. ” 

The Council will also get a new fleet of garbage trucks after a 10-year contract was signed with United Resources Management (URM) earlier this month.  The new vehicles will have up-to-date safety features, emission-controlled engines and fully enclosed covers for the loading ‘hopper’. 

As well the Council will introduce a separate metal collection; and will work with local community groups to separate out and retrieve valuable items, such as furniture and white goods, from kerbside collections.

“Everyone I talk to has been inspired by the ABC’s War on Waste,” Cr Bingham said. “I have no doubt the community will work together with the council to recycle, reuse or  repair - rather than tossing things that just go straight into landfill.”

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