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How to Recycle Green Waste

How to Recycle Green Waste

Updated 2 January 2020 03:20 PM

Green waste includes plants and plant cuttings, grass clippings, leaves, flowers, sawdust, hay, bark and woodchips


Green waste is pretty much anything you cut down in your garden as well as vegetable and fruit scraps. tea leaves and tea bags, coffee grounds,  egg shells, old newspapers, tissues and paper towels.

Most local councils operate green waste services, either by providing regular collection via council green bins or specific suburban pick up days. Please don’t throw green waste into your general waste. Around 90% of greenhouse gas emissions from landfills are from decomposing organic material that should not be there. Find out your local council’s green waste management options here.

The optimal way to recycle green waste at home is to diy with a compost bin. You can do this easily by purchasing a composter or making your own. Make sure you make or buy one that suits your yard or apartment size and situation and do your research. 
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Science Notes
When garden waste and organic food waste find their way into landfill, decomposition without oxygen produces methane gas which is damaging to the environment. 

Materials that go into your compost are in two camps - green (nitrogen rich) or brown (carbon rich). Green waste typically includes any plant matter like fruit and vegetable skins and cast offs, plant trimmings, tea bags, coffee grinds, cooked rice or pasta, egg shells etc. Brown waste includes shredded paper and newspaper (no glossy paper), cardboard, straw, dead leaves, and any kind of chicken or guinea pig straw bedding.
 
Related Tip
Never put large amounts of dairy, oils or any animal products (except eggshells) into compost unless you are composting in a Bokashi bucket. Bokashi buckets are excellent for any space really, but particularly for apartments and smaller suburban blocks where space is a premium.

Composting allows the organic matter to be reused as fertiliser in your very own garden, it keeps food waste out of landfill, and facilitates water saving and improvement to soil quality. Use compost in garden beds, pot plants, to help grow organic vegetables, and around the base of trees and shrubs.

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