What goes around comes around in Bendigo

Have you ever wondered what happens to the scraps you put into your food and garden organics bin? Just ask the residents of Bendigo.

The City of Greater Bendigo has given away recycled compost since 2020. What makes this compost so special is that it is a local product made from the contents of household food and garden organics bins collected in Victoria. Once Bendigo residents empty food and garden scraps into their lime green bins, they’re transported to Stanhope. There, certified composter Biomix processes them into nutrient-rich compost.

Residents love the free compost program. As soon as the council announces the giveaway date, availability is filled within the hour with eager locals going wild for recycled compost. The event has become so popular the council now offers the service three times a year instead of once.

Amelia Rungkat is the Resource Recovery Education Officer for Greater Bendigo. ‘Providing recycled compost back to the community is a reward for residents and incentivises sorting waste correctly at the household level,’ she says. And what better way to understand the circular economy than being part of it? After all, sustainable practice does make perfect.

‘It’s so important to keep rubbish out of the food and garden organics bin. This includes plastic packaging, fruit stickers and other common contaminants. This way, we can all benefit from having rich compost to grow new veggies and fruit,’ she adds.

The council also distributes the product in limited quantities to local schools and community gardens, with plans to expand its use in schools and businesses. This initiative is part of the Council’s Circular Economy Strategy, ensuring that a fantastic resource doesn’t go to waste.

Long Gully Community Garden is one recipient of Bendigo’s compost. The organisation leases out small garden beds to local residents, grows food and runs gardening skills workshops.

Jonathan Ridnell, Garden Facilitator, says compost they received from the Council ‘worked a treat’ on their garden beds and fruit trees. And he likes seeing food scraps from Bendigo homes come full circle.

‘It's a nice thing for our volunteers to know that the effort that they make using their food and garden organics bin ends up with a product that has a good final use.’

He sees several benefits to making and using recycled compost.

‘It's important to use recycled products because that's how we create a sustainable future,’ says Jonathan. ‘If we can create pathways to reuse the vegetable matter that we use in our homes, then that's a plus for our hip pockets and for our environment. We’re reducing landfill, we're reducing greenhouse gases and we're closing the loop.’