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This article was published on Wednesday, 4 October, 2017. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Lowest green waste contamination rate on record

For the month of September, nearly 650 tonnes of food and garden waste was composted and sent back to earth.

Greater Shepparton City Council Director Infrastructure/City Engineer Phil Hoare said this is an outstanding result for which residents should be commended. “Thank you to all residents for the steady improvement in contamination rates. “In September 2016 we had a contamination rate of 3.38 per cent and in September 2015 it was 4.8 per cent,” he said.

“These are very pleasing results and it shows Greater Shepparton residents are thinking carefully about which bin they use for their waste,” said Mr Hoare.

“Putting organic waste in the green lid bin has many benefits, primarily protecting our environment, diverting waste from landfill.”

“Dumping organic waste in landfill has major consequences as the material decomposes with minimal oxygen. This produces odorous gases and methane which has a global warming potential 25 times greater than carbon dioxide. Dumping food and garden waste in landfill is also a waste of a useful resource which could be used to enrich our soils and help to grow healthy crops and pastures that produce food for everyone.”

“Residents have done a great job in separating their waste and maintaining a low contamination rate, let’s keep plastic bags and rubbish out of the green bins to ensure the organics collected from households is free from contamination,” said Mr Hoare.

The common items that continue to contaminate organic waste include plastic bags, nappies, garden pots and building materials.

For more information about contamination, what can and can’t go in the green lid bin and more visit http://greatershepparton.com.au/animals-environment-and-waste/waste-and-recycling/organic-green-lid-bin