Hepburn Shire Council invites residents to participate in a trial that investigates if using paper liners for kitchen caddies can make separating food scraps easier and more convenient, while also improving participation in the food and garden organics (organics) kerbside collection.
Mayor, Cr Tony Clark, said that Council wants to make it easier for residents to separate their food scraps and get the most out of the organics kerbside service.
“Our kerbside organics service has already delivered strong results, helping achieve a reduction of more than 25 per cent in waste sent to landfill. That’s a great outcome for our community, but we know there is still more we can do, with around 14 per cent of food waste still ending up in landfill bins.”
“By trialling paper liners, we’re exploring a simple, practical way to help households manage food waste in the kitchen.”
“This trial gives us an opportunity to test that approach, hear directly from residents and operational staff and determine whether it delivers benefits for our community,” continued Cr Tony Clark.
One of the key barriers the trial aims to address is the current advice for residents not to use bags, including biodegradable bags, when separating their food scraps. Paper liners will be tested as a potential alternative to help residents manage food waste in their kitchens before placing it in their kerbside bins.
Reminder to all residents that only approved paper liners are accepted and residents are encouraged to keep using small amounts of paper at the bottom of the caddy if they would prefer, but no bags are accepted in the organics bin.
How to participate in the paper liners trial:
- The paper liner packs are available for collection from Creswick, Daylesford and Trentham transfer stations. For Clunes residents they can collect them from The Warehouse – Clunes on Mondays between 2 and 4 pm during November or can contact bins@hepburn.vic.gov.au if they need alternative arrangements.
- Participants are asked to register online once they have collected their packs: https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/paper-liners
- Once participants have used all their paper liners, they can share their experience through an online survey.
