Mar—12

Why Collect Organics in the Workplace

Why should workplaces collect organic materials separately?

Food waste is a major issue, not only do we throw away perfectly edible food but food waste going to landfill is a massive environmental burden. In landfill organic waste generates methane, a greenhouse gas that is 8 times more potent than CO₂, all together this contributes around 8% of the worlds greenhouse gases.

When food waste is collected separately and is composted internally or by a commercial composter it reduces the impact on the environment significantly. Other benefits include:

Reduce the Volume of Waste to Landfill

Food waste accounts for around one-third of waste that ends up in landfills. Capturing this can represent a significant diversion from landfill for your organisation, and depending on the collector can represent a significant saving in waste disposal costs.

In 2005 a council in Christchurch, New Zealand conducted a trial curbside organics collection and found that in test areas waste to landfill fell an average of 40%.

Generate Fertiliser

Organics recycling means that organic waste is able to be regenerated into fertilizer to grow new crops, returning nutrients to the soil.

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Add nutrients back into fertiliser to grow new produce

Encourage Collective Action

Encountering organics collection in the workplace can encourage people to start conversations and potentially start collecting home organics as well. Check out our guide to building a home compost here.

Capture More Materials

Items such as single-use chopsticks, corks, teabags, unbleached napkins and paper towels are often able to be captured and broken down with organics. Placing organic collection bins in kitchens and even bathrooms can capture this waste easily.

Elemento Newmarket keep an organics bin next to the coffee machine for grinds + compostable cups - go visit them next time you are in Auckland!

New Compostable Products

With the growing awareness of how much waste is being sent to landfill, many companies are introducing compostable products, particularly for single-use food packaging. Having an organics bin means that this packaging can be captured and processed correctly, instead of going to landfill.

Remember to check with your waste provider/organics collector about their collection requirements, and make sure you know what materials they collect as every provider is different.