Grants help food recycling

Councils receive EPA grants.

Narromine Shire Council in partnership with Dubbo Regional Council and Mid-Western Regional Council have received an NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) grant of $30,000 to help households become top food waste recyclers, says general manager Jane Redden.

The three council group that Narromine Shire is part of was one of 11 councils and groups of councils to share in $240,150 under the Scrap Together grants program.

This project will see the Scrap Together campaign rolled out across the Narromine Shire, Dubbo Region and Mid-Western Region where it will help residents understand what happens to food waste collected in their kerbside green lid bin and encourage them to use it well.

The campaign was piloted in Clarence Valley, Kempsey, and Forbes local government areas and proved popular with residents, resulting in an average of 10 per cent increase in food waste recovered for recycling.

“This funding will help keep food and garden organic waste out of landfill to be processed into compost that will improve soil health.

“It will help us roll out an engaging campaign, that will remind our community of the environmental benefits of recycling your food waste and how to use the service to best advantage,” Mrs Redden said.

Head of EPA Organics Unit, Amanda Kane said this funding round enabled 25 councils to deliver the Scrap Together campaign materials, which includes videos, radio adverts, mailbox drops and print advertising.

She said the NSW Government had allocated an additional $69 million over the next five years to further expand FOGO services and support councils to meet new requirements under the Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 to provide services to all NSW households by 2030.

For more information and links to the campaign collateral visit www.epa.nsw.gov.au/fogo