Byron Shire Council, along with Lismore, Kyogle, Tweed, Ballina, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley Councils, and North East Waste, have launched the new community organics recycling campaign "Let's Get Our Scrap Together".
The Let's Get Our Scrap Together campaign, developed by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), aims to reduce the amount of food waste lost to landfill and ensure every scrap is captured through the green bin system, where it can be turned into high quality compost.
This campaign aims to build on the recycling efforts of all Northern Rivers residents, including those in the Byron Shire, who have a kerbside green bin service.
Last year (2021) more than 42,000 tonnes of food and garden waste in the region was put into green bins.
"The aim of the Let's Get Our Scrap Together campaign is to do even better with making sure our food waste stays out of landfill because even though we saved 42,000 tonnes of material in the Northern Rivers from going into landfill last year, 17,000 tonnes of green and organic waste was still put in the red bins," Sarah Child, Council's Resource Recovery Education Officer, said.
"We are hoping that a series of multi-media ads over the next several months will remind people to get their scrap together and reduce food waste to landfill" Ms Child said.
"There will also be presentations at schools and community events.
"When food and garden waste is sent to landfill, it creates methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than CO2 and the conditions in landfill do not allow food to break down properly.
"Using green bins correctly or composting are simple ways each and every one of us can contribute towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions," she said.
