The Greens candidate for Wollongong Council has launched a petition calling for Council to allow residents to follow the lead of Shellharbour and Kiama Councils and allow residents to put food waste in the green bin so it can be composted. 

“Food waste is currently the largest component of the rubbish in our red topped bins, and produces the largest amount of greenhouse gases, and odours, as this rots in landfill,” said Jamie Dixon, Greens candidate in the upcoming Wollongong City by-election.

Greens candidate for Wollongong Council has launched a petition calling for Council to allow residents to follow the lead of Shellharbour and Kiama Councils and allow residents to put food waste in the green bin so it can be composted. 

“Food waste is currently the largest component of the rubbish in our red topped bins, and produces the largest amount of greenhouse gases, and odours, as this rots in landfill,” said Jamie Dixon, Greens candidate in the upcoming Wollongong City by-election.

“This is a missed opportunity, as 32 other local councils in NSW, including our neighbours in Shellharbour and Kiama, are utilising this food waste as a resource, to create nutrient rich compost.

“Council pays the State Government for every tonne of waste going into landfill, but is able to claim some of these costs back, in order to set up appropriate waste reduction schemes, like FOGO.

“Shellharbour Council received a $1.58M EPA grant to start their FOGO scheme, and is now diverting over 60kgs of waste per family every year from entering landfill, while producing sellable product. 

“The scheme would use our existing green topped bins, and part of the funding is to provide every household with a counter-top caddy for collecting the food waste, meaning zero cost to the householder.

“By keeping food waste away from our landfill, we can cut greenhouse gas emissions, as well as greatly reducing odours from council’s Kembla Grange facility – both of which are a definite advantage not only to existing residents in neighbouring suburbs, but also to the thousands of new families building on the new developments in Wongawilli,” Mr Dixon said. 

For further information, please contact :

Jamie Dixon - 0403 402 114

Cath Blakey - 0458 490 122