Compostables Recycling
Diverting food and compostable packaging from landfill helps reduce pollution and allows essential nutrients to be returned to the soil.
Food waste
In Australia, over five million tonnes of food ends up in landfill every year. That's about one in every five bags of groceries which are thrown out! Unless regularly turned over, food breaks down slowly due to a lack of oxygen. This creates methane, a gas that is 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. You can learn more about food waste and how to avoid it through OzHarvest.
Organic bins
Organic bins are located in kitchens and common eating areas for the recycling of food waste and compostable packaging like cardboard food trays, bio-plastic containers, corn-starch cutlery and paper straws.
The University has mandated that all food packaging from campus eateries be 100% compostable. Please contact us if you are provided with a food packaging item that you don't believe to be compostable and we can investigate.
You can help by making sure you:
- Read the bins signs and recycle correctly.
- Put all food waste in a green organics bin.
- If you are really unsure, throw it in the landfill bin.
- Only buy what you need. Plan your meals and shop with a list.
- Store food correctly to make it last longer.
To order bins for an event or clean-out, go to the Infrastructure website and Request a Service (waste). 60L, 240L and 660L sizes are available.