Organics Bin Trial

The Organics Bin Trial has now finished. Thank you once again to all participants across Perth's Eastern Region.

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the survey competition was Mrs Hilda Atkins of Ashfield, who has won a year’s supply of cornstarch bags, a compost bin and trailer load of mulch.

The results of the trial are being finalised and a summary available on our website in October.

About the Organics Bin Trial

Organic waste (food waste and garden waste) takes up around two-thirds of the volume of household rubbish going to landfill each week. Organic waste, however, has the potential to be recovered and transformed into a valuable resource of compost.

As part of its research into establishing a Resource Recovery Facility capable of diverting valuable resources such as organics from landfill, in 2008 the EMRC was awarded a grant of $95,000 through the Strategic Waste Initiative Scheme to conduct a Trial Household Organic Waste Collection project.

The project involved trialing a third household rubbish bin in 300 households in a representative area of Perth’s Eastern Region for the purpose of collecting household separated organic waste (food waste and green waste). Analysis of both the organics bin and the residual rubbish bin will be conducted during the trial, and this information used in the Resource Recovery project analysis.

The Organics Bin Trial ran for eight weeks between 21 April and 24 June. Households selected for the trial were provided with a 240 litre Bio Bin and an 8 litre Bio Basket, complete with biodegradable cornstarch liner bags, to place in their kitchen for food waste collection.

Results from the trial will be published on this website in October 2009.

For more information, please call our hotline on 1800 855 955.

FAQ'S

How do I use the Bio Basket?

Step 1: Put one of the provided corn starch bags into the Bio Basket.

Step 2: Place all your food scraps into the lined Bio Basket.

Step 3: Remove the bag and contents every 2-3 days (or as required) and tie a knot in the top of the bag.

Step 4: Place bag into your large green Bio Bin, ready for its weekly collection.

What can be placed in the Bio Basket?

food scraps
meat scraps
fruit & vegetable peel
egg shells
tissues
paper towels
teabags & coffee grounds

What can’t be placed in the Bio Basket or outside Bio Bin?

plastics/plastic bags
cigarette butts or ash
large amounts of soil
animal waste / kitty litter
clothing & textiles
personal hygiene products
large prunings or logs
sharp objects or needles
cans, bottles, milk containers
nappies
garbage
glass / ceramics

What is the Organic Bin Trial about?
Around half of the contents of an average household rubbish bin which goes to landfill is food waste or garden waste (organic) material. When food waste decomposes in landfill, organic materials break down and produce unwanted leachate and methane gas, both of which are harmful to the environment.

This trial is part of the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council’s (EMRC) Resource Recovery Project, which is working towards providing Perth’s Eastern Region with alternative waste treatment facilities to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. The trial will gather data about the separate collection of food and garden waste for use in an alternative waste treatment facility such as an anaerobic digester to produce compost and biogas/electricity. The trial is funded by the Waste Authority via a Strategic Waste Initiatives Scheme grant.

Who is involved in the trial?
Approximately 300 homes in the six councils of Perth’s Eastern Region: Town of Bassendean, City of Bayswater, City of Belmont, Shire of Kalamunda, Shire of Mundaring and the City of Swan have been selected to participate in the eight week trial.

I live in Bayswater and already have a brown-top garden waste bin. What do I do?
For the duration of the trial, do not use your brown-top garden waste bin. Instead, place your food and garden waste into the trial organics Bio Bin, except for large tree prunings which should go into your normal household rubbish bin.

I already have a compost bin/worm farm. What do I do?
You should continue to use your own composting facilities at home and use the Bio Basket and Bio Bin only as required (for example in disposing of meat scraps or other food products not generally placed in a compost bin).

Will my bin collection dates change during the trial?
No. Your Bio Bin will be collected weekly on the same day as your normal rubbish collection. You should put out your Bio Bin on the same day you put out green-top household rubbish bin each week. During recycling weeks you will need to put out the three bins.

Non-recycling week: Put out green-top general rubbish bin and Bio Bin

Recycling week: Put out green-top general rubbish bin, Bio Bin and yellow-top recycling bin.

What will happen if I put the wrong thing into the Bio Bin?
Contamination of the collected organic material by non-approved items will affect the results of the trial. If you are unsure about an item, please refer to the sticker on top of your green Bio Bin or call 1800 855 955. Continued contamination may result in you not being able to participate in this trial.

What are the Bio Basket bags made of?
The bags are constructed of biodegradable material based on cornstarch, vegetable oil and compostable polyester. When commercially composted, they break down completely in around 30 days.

What happens if I run out of bio bags?
You have been supplied with a roll of 24 bags, which should be enough to last for the trial. However, if you do run low, please call the EMRC on 1800 855 955 and they will supply you with additional bags. Normal plastic bags should not be used in your Bio Basket.

Acknowledgements: City of Burnside, South Australia