Inner West food recycling starts today
Monday 09 October 2023
Darcy Byrne, Inner West Mayor
The expansion of food recycling to all free-standing homes in the Inner West launches today with a range of support being offered to residents to transition to the new service.
Food waste that rots in landfill produces potent methane that contributes enormously to climate change. The annual carbon emissions saved by diverting food waste from landfill across the Inner West will be the equivalent of saving an entire month’s electricity emissions for the average household.
The new food recycling service will include a weekly collection of the green-lid bin which will take all food and garden waste. The red-lid bin will be collected fortnightly.
Some residents will have a change in their collection schedule and this can be checked easily by consulting Council's online waste calendar here: Waste calendar - Inner West Council (nsw.gov.au)
We know that introducing food recycling will be challenging at first so Council is providing a range of supports to residents in making this transition:
- Residents can book an additional red lid bin collection, on the alternate week, through the Council website, Council clean-up - Inner West Council (nsw.gov.au)
- Residents can call 9392 5000 to register for a free, larger 240L red lid bin. The delivery of these larger red bins will commence after the initial roll out of the new service.
- Council’s new Wastebusters team is available to help with a phone call or home visit to provide tips and suggestions about how to reduce the amount of general waste that goes in the red lid bin.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said that Council is providing all the assistance that residents need in the transition to food recycling.
“Expanding food recycling to every home is the single biggest thing our community can do to combat climate change, but we know this transition will be challenging,” Byrne said.
“We are determined to provide the practical support our community needs to make this change.
“Residents will be able to book an additional red lid bin collection when they need it and they can also register for a free, larger 240L red bin.
“Food recycling schemes already cover about 30% of Australian households including all regional councils in NSW, as well as Penrith and Randwick.”
“The experience of these councils is that providing residents with practical support at the start empowers the community to participate in the change.”
“We are determined to make food recycling in the Inner West a success.”
ENDS
For media enquiries please contact Jonny Browne, Jonny.Browne@innerwest.nsw.gov.au