Food waste

Since amalgamation, Inner West Council continues to work hard to create a common service across the Council areas, however this will take time. We are committed to becoming a zero waste community and developing strategies to achieve this.  In the meantime waste and recycling services remain unchanged.   

Why reducing food waste?

Food waste is a priority as it makes up 37% of the average garbage bin in the Council area and is critical in addressing a move towards zero waste.  The food in your garbage bin breaks down in landfill and together with other organic materials it becomes the main contributor to the generation of methane - a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. 

What you can do with organics already

• Garden organics collection- a fortnightly garden organics collection is available across IWC (no food)

• Food and Garden Organics Trial - a Food and Garden Organics (FOGO) Trial with 1,000 properties is running in Marrickville

• Home composting through Compost Revolution - Council offers subsidised home composting and worm farming supplies through Compost Revolution.  For tips on composting or worm farming visit our composting and worm farming page. 

• Community composting - Council supports community composting with a compost huts trial in parks and composting in community gardens and composting workshops in schools.

It can be more challenging to home compost if you live in an apartment, but we do have options

• Compost Collective - Communal composting in apartment complexes 

• Food Organics service for Leichhardt apartments (20 units+)

Wasting food wastes more

Wasting food also wastes the energy, water and natural resources used to grow, package, transport and market that food.  Reducing your food waste helps reducing your overall environmental footprint.