Food and garden organics bin

You can place the following items in this bin:

• Fruit and vegetable scraps
• Meat, bones, seafood, eggshells
• Leaves, plants, twigs, grass
• Coffee grounds, loose-leaf tea (without the staple, string and tag)

You cannot place the following items in this bin:

• Coffee pods, tea bags
• Kitty litter, animal droppings
• Tree stumps, large branches
• Plastic bags or packaging

• Layer food scraps with garden waste. When possible, place grass clippings or garden prunings at the base of the bin before adding food waste.
• Store your food and garden organics bin in the shade.
• Don't overfill your bin. Make sure the lid stays closed.
• Put your green bin out for collection even if the bin isn’t full.
• Sprinkle bicarb soda and/or a squeeze of lemon juice or eucalyptus/lavender/mint oil at the bottom of your bin and caddy.
• Let hot food cool down before placing it in your caddy or bin.
• Clean and dry your kitchen caddy regularly.

Your food and garden waste goes to Veolia’s organic processing facility in Bulla. They place it in a large vessel for 10 days, then turn it into nutrient-rich compost and mulch. Once the compost and mulch are mature, they're used on farms and gardens.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is easy when we keep food out of landfill. This also helps protect the environment.

Brimbank’s 2022 waste audit showed that about 50% of our general rubbish is food and garden organics. When food and garden waste is in landfill, it creates methane. This is a harmful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.