Food and Green Waste Collection

Food and Green Waste Collection

Coolamon, Cootamundra, Gundagai and Junee Shire Councils are working together with the Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Councils (REROC) to establish a regional organics processing facility. The councils want to test the feasibility of the project by first running a Trial. 200 households in each Shire have been chosen to participate in the Trial.

In order to establish the facility, which will be located in Cootamundra Shire, the participating councils are introducing a dedicated organics waste collection. This means that each of the households that are part of the Trial will be given a new 240 litre bin to be used for all their organics and green waste (garden waste), which will be collected once a fortnight. Each household has also been given a benchtop bin and bin liners to help collect each household's food waste.

The Trial will commence on 1 August 2011 and will conclude on 31 January 2012. The first collection will be on Friday 5 August for Coolamon and Junee and Monday 8 August for Gundagai and Cootamundra.

Food and green waste makes up about 60% of household waste. Councils must pay to dispose of waste so if we can stop taking this type of waste to landfills then we can save money. Separating waste into three different categories (organics, recyclables and residual) will reduce waste going to landfill and increase recycling.

In addition organic waste, when placed in landfill, produces methane gas which has over 20 times the global warming potential than carbon dioxide. So removing organic waste helps the environment and is an essential step in building a sustainable future.

For further information on the project, please download the Frequently Asked Questions Flyer.

Also available for households participating in the Trial is a Calendar which outlines collection dates and what is acceptable for collection.

For further local information, please contact your local council:

Coolamon Shire Council                Phone 02 6921 7306

Cootamundra Shire Council          Phone 02 6940 2100

Gundagai Shire Council                 Phone 02 6944 0200

Junee Shire Council                        Phone 02 6924 8100