Organic Recycling Project
In 200/01 of the 95,387 tonnes of waste Waitakere City sent to landfill, 17% of is organic. In natural ecological systems, remains from animals and plants are used to fertilize the plants around them. By placing organic waste in landfill we loose the natural benefits of these resources.
The Solid Waste Business Unit commissioned a composting operation in May 2001 to compost organic waste using Vertical Composting Unit (VCU). Currently, all green waste entering the transfer station are composted using the VCU’s. The business unit plans to undertake a food waste composting trial in the near future with the objective to divert all organic waste from entering landfills.
The Cleaner Production Team of the council is also working with The Worm Firm and Expended Food Collection Services to widen the range of options to prevent this valuable resource from entering landfills.
The Worm Firm Recycling Services
The Worm Firm is a charitable business run by The Waitakere Special Needs Trust to raise funds to provide services and work skills for people with disabilities in the Waitakere area.
Cleaner Production is supporting The Worm Firm to achieve environmental and social goals through supporting the development its recycling services to the residential and commercial sectors.
The Worm Firm has developed two systems for households to recycle organic waste. This includes food scraps, paper, garden waste, lawn clippings and any other organic material.
- A worm bag system (1m x 1m).
- 210 drum system with drainage point for liquid fertiliser collection.
The Worm Firm installs and maintains the system through regular visits to monitor the health of the system. The worms convert the waste into castings, which you can use on your garden or which The Worm Firm can harvest and take
off-site.
The Worm Firm are currently designing an on-site organic recycling system that is intended to be trailed by a local food manufacturer in the near future.
For further information contact:
The Worm Firm
C/o Arohanui Special School
Tirimoana Road
Glendene
Waitakere City
Tel 09 838 6698 (during school hours)
Expended Food Collection Services [Place 2 photo’s of Organic Recycling in this section]
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Since mid 1999 local restaurants, café’s such asThe Thai Kitchen, Tasty
Thai Café, and Moka, and Westfield
Shoppingtown WestCity have begun to havetheir food
waste collected for pig food stock, allowing the
businesses and farmer to save money. |
The Cleaner Production Team have been working with the collection service to ensure best practice is adopted by restaurants and the collector. The collection of food waste follows the recommended practices of the Pork Industry Board to ensure animal health and safety.
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The 40 litre containers make it easy and hygienic to keep the food waste separate from other waste. The collected containers are replaced with steam-cleaned containers. The containers are sourced from local businesses no longer requiring them, keeping with the theme of ‘reuse and recycling’ |
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Further information on the collection service:
Expended Food Collection Services
Tel: 025 235 9996 or (09) 422 5592 (after hours)
Vertical Composting Unit
Waitakere City Council’s Solid Waste Unit has recently installed a
Vertical Composting Unit
(VCU).
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