Turning cafe waste into mulch treasure

Ted O’Brien chats with Project Officer Emily Boyd, centre, and Yandina Community Gardens President Colleen Bichel.

Organic food waste from local businesses is being turned into compost in a project aimed at reducing landfill. Ten local businesses have agreed to keep their organic waste for collection by Yandina Community Gardens.

Federal Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien said  funding amounting to $34,000 would help the Yandina Community Gardens initiative.

“I particularly love that there will be three different composting options on display for the public to learn about reducing and composting organic waste in their own homes.”

Food Waste Program Project Officer Emily Boyd said the pilot program would run for 12 months. The program uses three compost systems to process waste: the worm farm, hot-aerobic compost system and now the black soldier fly larvae system. “Our aim is to divert as much food waste from landfill as possible so we’re picking up all the food waste that is generated from local businesses such as cafés, restaurants and fruit shops and composting it back at our site,” Ms Boyd said. Businesses need to separate their regular plastic and other landfill waste from the compostable organic waste, then Yandina Community Gardens will do the rest.

Drop into Yandina Community Gardens Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays or check out their website at yandinacommunitygardens.com.au.