Sydney’s Concord Council recently hosted the launch of a new model for recycling garden waste called Garden to Garden. Developed by Waste Service NSW, Garden to Garden is part of the State Government’s proposal to ban garden waste from entering landfill.
Instead of Council collecting garden waste, shredding it and returning it untreated to the community, under the Garden to Garden scheme, garden waste is recycled into a range of quality composts, soil conditioners and mulches all manufactured under guidelines specified by Standards Australia. This aims to eradicate the risk and costs of spreading plant diseases and pests.
Councillor Peter Woods, Mayor of Concord and President of the Local Government and Shires Association, said he was delighted to take part in the launch of this major initiative.
“Concord has an outstanding record in garden waste recycling with more than 75% of households participating each week in the Council’s garden waste recycling program,” he said. “Each year we collect enough garden trimmings to fill the Olympic pool at Homebush more than three times over.
“Through our garden waste service we are diverting a huge volume of a valuable resource from landfill and, at the same time, participating in a solution to Sydney’s green waste challenge. The Garden to Garden scheme ensures that the material collected is processed into a quality product which our residents can use.”
Lee Beckett, Manager of Environmental Services at Concord Council, said Concord’s impressive record in garden waste recycling was largely the result of a comprehensive education campaign.
“Over a 10 week period, before our garden waste collection service commenced, we ran a series of advertising campaigns in local newspapers and radio, worked with local school children and set up information displays in shopping centres.
For further information contact Lee Beckett, telephone (02) 9736 4700.
