Victorian councils receive funding to transform household food scraps

Sustainability Victoria has awarded more than $510,000 to 8 Victorian councils to increase their use of high-quality compost sourced from households’ food organics and garden organics collections. The projects will enrich local green spaces and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill while ensuring the organic material Victorians separate is recycled into valuable high-quality compost.

Some of the councils to receive funding from the Circular Economy Organics Council Fund include the City of Greater Geelong which will receive $43,520 to make recycled kerbside organics into new products including a garden blend and potting mix. The new products will be trialed in the Geelong Botanical Gardens.

Monash City Council will receive $100,000 to build community understanding of kerbside food organics and garden organics collections, by showing how recycled food scraps and garden clippings are used to benefit local parks and gardens. The funding will also help purchase storage solutions and a purpose-built trailer that will increase the amount of compost used on local parks and gardens.

Hepburn Shire Council will receive $92,949 to undertake an in-depth study on the difference compost generated from household food organics and garden organics collection makes to soil and tree health in local parks and open spaces. Several short educational videos will be produced to show residents how their actions are helping their local soil and plant health.

So far 57 of Victoria’s 79 councils offer a kerbside food organics and garden organics service to parts of their community. This has resulted in more than 200,000 tonnes of organic material being recovered for reuse.

Over the next decade, Victoria will cut waste generation by 15 per cent and halve food and organic waste going to landfill under Recycling Victoria, the Victorian Government's action plan that is transforming the state’s recycling sector and setting Victoria up for a more sustainable future. 

Matt Genever, Sustainability Victoria’s CEO said, “This funding will enable local councils to use residents’ food and garden organics as recycled compost in local parks and gardens, contributing to healthier, greener places for the community to enjoy.

“Through these projects, councils will be able to show the community how their household food and garden waste is recycled directly in their local green spaces.”

View a full list of Circular Economy Organics Council Fund recipients.