A Yandina Community Garden initiative is seeing a record amount of food waste across the town being diverted from landfill and into nutrient-rich compost.
The Food Loop program began nearly 11 months ago and in that time 20 tonnes of food waste has been used to create more than 10,000 litres of compost ready to grow more food.
Yandina Community Gardens project officer Emily Boyd says food waste is taken from restaurants, cafes, grocery stores and coffee roaster across Yandina.
“There are 13 different businesses on board the program, which is the majority of food businesses in Yandina,” Ms Boyd says.
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“The businesses love being part of the program and the 20-tonne diversion is a real community achievement.”
Ms Boyd says food waste is a major contributor to Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and composting is a wonderful way to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.
“Gas emissions from Sunshine Coast Council’s landfills account for approximately 80 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the council’s footprint.
“Approximately 55 per cent of waste currently in a household bin could be composted but it is instead sent to landfill, producing greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to climate change.
“Compost is an amazing source of organic matter which is very important for growing healthy, resilient plants which become nutrient-dense food.”
Unfortunately, the program is at risk of ending at the end of June if Yandina Community Gardens is unable to secure further funding.
“We are pushing with Council at the moment for the program to continue, but nothing’s been finalised as of yet,” Ms Boyd says.
INFORMATION: yandinacommunitygardens.com.au
Participating Food Loop businesses
- At Odds Cafe
- Cafe Ginger
- Gun Cotton Coffee Roastery
- Haus Collective
- Lawn Expresso
- Mt Ninderry Meats
- Real Food Market
- The Rocks
- Silo Cafe
- Silo Wholefoods
- Stockmans Pizza, Pasta and Ribs
- Pioneer Coffee Roastery
- Yandina Hotel
