First compost huts in Australia
Tuesday 23 May 2017
Inner West Council’s trial of compost huts – the first in Australia – continues to gain pace, with more local residents invited to drop off fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags and coffee grounds.
The trial is based on a successful model in Hernani, Spain. The Council-managed, public-place local food waste management service can manage 40 – 60 households of food waste.
Council has held several information sessions, explaining how to use the huts and any possible issues to report to Council.
Residents then drop off scraps, while a Council officer monitors and turns the compost once or twice a week.
The finished compost is used either by local residents in their gardens or by Council in local parks.
The compost huts are just one of the many ways Inner West Council offers food waste management services to local residents:
- Cost price compost bins and worm farms from Council’s Green Living Centre
- Free compost bins and support for residents of multi-unit dwellings to compost with their neighbours
The difference with a compost hut is that residents do not need to be wholly active in composting – they simply drop off food scraps, and Council maintains and manages the composting process.
Danielle Constantine was an early sign-up to the trial. She said, “This is exactly what I'd been hoping would pop up near me!”
Speaking of the compost hut trial, Ef Gainsford commented on Facebook, “Please expand the awesome sustainability work in Marrickville to Ashfield.”
Households can still sign up to participate. They need to live within walking distance from the sites – at Petersham Road Reserve in Marrickville, and Tom Kenny Reserve in Marrickville West.
Anyone interested should go to www.tinyurl.com/composthut
For more on the food scrap composting options Inner West Council offers to residents, go to Residents Composting and worm farming
For print quality images, contact the Communication team.