New Zealanders toss around 90,000 tonnes of food into their rubbish bins every year. That equals about 1.17 billion dollars’ worth of food yearly.
Auckland council has recognized that there is a big problem when it comes to food waste and plans to introduce food scrap bins across Auckland by late 2021. This is because 45 per cent of rubbish in bins is food waste.
Areas like Takapuna, Northcote and Milford were the first areas in March 2018 to receive the new bins and the only areas that have received the food scrap bins so far. After four weeks, 70 tonnes where collected from Papakura and prevented from being dumped into landfill.
Residents are given a 6-litre kitchen caddy for food scraps to be placed and also a 23 litre bin that the kitchen caddy is emptied into too. The 23 litre food scrap bins are picked up from the kerbside once a week and will be put into compost and fertilisers to provide nutrients for our soil.
There are restrictions when it comes to what you can and can’t put in the food scrap bin.
Items that belong in the food scrap bins include fruit, vegetables scraps (peeling, stalks, skin), bread, pasta, rice. Dairy products, meat and fish bones and scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, indoor cut flowers, paper towels and tissues.
Items that are not allowed in the food scrap bin include garden waste (weeds, lawn clippings, hedge trimmings), plastic bags, disposable food containers, cigarette butts, soil, rocks, clothes, cloth, food wrapping, nappies, sanitary products, pet waste and liquids or chemicals on any kind.
The goal of the new bins is to reduce food waste going to landfills, reduce emissions, connect people to nature, to encourage people to eat more left-over food and to restore our soil.
On top of this, people will benefit from less food scraps taking up room in their rubbish bins, meaning they will have more space in their bins and which should result in them saving money on bin collections because they should put their bins out less.
If you want more information about the scrap waste bins click here.
Food scrap bins are only offered by the Auckland Council, to get a food scrap bin go to the Auckland Council Website.
If you need general rubbish removed from your property please email us here or call us to get a quote.
Photo by OurAuckland
