In November last year, we conducted a general waste audit of randomly selected bins from across Bayside.
Since launching our food & green waste service in July 2019, our landfill diversion rate (the percentage of waste no longer going to landfill) has increased from 49% to 60%.
This is a great outcome but there's still work to do!
Our recent audit highlighted two key problems:
- Food waste unfortunately still makes up a whopping 36% of the garbage bin. While this number was closer to 50% before we launched food and green waste, we can still do better!
- Recyclables (cardboard, hard plastics, glass, aluminium, etc.) makes up 18% of the garbage bin.
These findings mean that more than half of the average Bayside garbage bin can be recovered, saving you space in your bin each week, and rescuing materials from landfill.
Other findings include:
- The average garbage bin weighs 9.5kg
- Of the recyclables found, paper was the highest, making up 11% of the bin's contents.
- Clothing and textiles made up about 5% of the bin.
- Food thrown in the bin in its original container, often without being opened made up almost 11%.
- E-waste - which is now banned from landfill, made up 1% of the bin.
- Soft plastics made up almost 10% of the bin.
For a full break down, refer to the pie chart below.
Overall, the audit showed some great progress whilst highlighting opportunities for the Bayside community to improve their disposal and recycling habits.
What can you do?
- Take advantage of blue recycling and food and green waste bins. By using these bins properly, you will be stopping waste from going to landfill.
- Remind yourself what goes in what bin at www.bayside.vic.gov.au/what-can-go-your-bins
- Register for the food and green waste service if you are not receiving it already and get composting today. You'll be delivered a brand-new lime-green lidded bin just for your food and garden waste as well as a kitchen caddy and some compostable bags to make it easy to separate your food waste from your general rubbish.
- Check out our handy A-Z waste & recycling directory for a comprehensive list of items and where they can be recycled or disposed of.
- Recycle your soft plastics via REDCycle, with drop-off points located at most major supermarkets, Council's Corporate Centre and at Beaumaris Library.
- Reduce waste where you can. The best possible thing you can do for the environment is avoiding waste in the first place. You can do this by shopping to a grocery list, eating leftovers, borrowing items from friends and family, buying second-hand, and selling or giving away your items once you're done with them rather than throwing them away.
