High five, Sydney! We’ve recycled 1,000 tonnes of food scraps

Recycling food scraps does more than just lighten our rubbish bins.

Since starting food scraps recycling in 2019, we’ve:

• generated 64,447 kWh of energy. Enough energy to power 11 average households in our area for a year.
• created almost 8 tonnes of fertiliser and 420 tonnes of compost to nourish soil in gardens and parks.
• avoided the equivalent of 1,735 t of CO2. That’s the same as taking 416 cars permanently off the road.
• saved 998 m3 of landfill space. Equal to 4,160 big wheelie bins.

Thank you to participating residents, building managers and champions who’ve helped us reach this milestone.

There are still spaces for apartment buildings to start recycling their food scraps. Register your interest for your building to join.

A community of food scrappers leading the charge

Fiona’s building started recycling food scraps early in the trial. For Fiona, it’s an easy way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and put food scraps to good use.

I’ve also been using it for my coffee grounds. I’m really happy about that because they were going in the bin or down the drain. - Food scraps champion Fiona.

Oliver, a building champion in Darlinghurst, said his building loves how convenient and easy the service is to use.

Above all else, residents are proud and thankful that they have been given the opportunity to look after the environment. – Building champion Oliver.

In some buildings, food scraps recycling is helping create a sense of community.

It can be hard to get to know your neighbours, particularly in big apartment buildings. Long-time resident Maggie has noticed food scraps recycling is helping to build connections between neighbours as they talk to each other about the service.

The more neighbours get involved and the more ownership they take ... the more everyone feels at home. - Food scraps champion Maggie.

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Spaces available for new apartment buildings to join

Recycling your food scraps is a small, everyday step you can take to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, primarily methane.

There are still spaces for apartment buildings to begin recycling their food scraps. Register your interest for your building to join.

You’ll join the other 242 apartment buildings across the city participating in the program.

Find out what’s involved for apartment buildings.