Residents in and around The Gap have a great way of contributing to a clean and green environment, thanks to the community composting hub at Yoorala Street Community Garden.
The Gap community garden was among the first composting hubs opened for trial by the Brisbane City Council. The composting hub was inaugurated in October last year, and after a successful run, the council decided to make it a permanent composting hub.
The program is part of the efforts of the council to minimise the amount of food and garden waste going to the city landfill. It is seen as an excellent solution to waste disposal issues, especially since more than half of the average Brisbane trash is composed of bio-degradable waste.
Participants in the composting program bring their organic waste regularly to the hub. The community garden occasionally provides seminars to explain the concept of composting.
Once participants register, they have the option to receive a free caddy, which they can use to bring their kitchen scrap to the composting hub.
Composting Tips
Joining the community in this composting effort means much more than simply bringing food and garden scrap to the hub. Residents are also encouraged to be more responsible in waste management.
Here are some tips for better organic waste disposal.
- Reduce waste. By bringing food waste to the composting hub, composters are making the most out of their kitchen scrap. However, it is still important to keep waste to a minimum. This can be done by reducing spoilage.
Be sure to consume items before they spoil. Adding an “Eat me first” label to items in the fridge will help you remember which ones will spoil first. - Maximise use of the caddy. Cut up large food scraps into smaller bits to make more room inside the caddy. This will also make it easier for the community gardeners to handle the compostable.
- Keep the bin clean. It will be wise to cover the items inside the caddy with damp newspaper. This will prevent bad smells that would attract flies to the compostable bin. Make sure to keep the caddy clean by washing it with soapy water after every use.
Want to get involved in the Community Composting program? Click here to register.
Visit the community garden’s website at www.yscg.com.au, or follow them on Facebook to get more information.
