Auckland's food scrap bins

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#3093568 22-Jun-2023 16:27

mkissin:

richms:

Its far too small to cope with what I have as food waste for 2 weeks. Dont think it will replace me using the in sink chopper or just throwing things in the normal bin.

It's collected weekly in Auckland - Food scraps collections (aucklandcouncil.govt.nz)

Same here in Tauranga

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Old3eyes

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neb

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#3093589 22-Jun-2023 17:23

Handsomedan:
I think the issue with an opt-in scheme would have been that 90% of Aucklanders would have said no, by apathy.

The issue with defaults as de facto regulation has been extensively studied overseas, one well-known example being organ donorships where some countries flipped from very low to quite high rates when it went from opt-in to opt-out. And that's how it should have been done here, make it opt-out so people who go with the status quo still get it while those who actively have no use for it don't.

neb

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#3093590 22-Jun-2023 17:26

Canuckabroad:
I already often go 2 weeks between wheeling a bin down to be removed - if the rubbish stops having food scraps (which start to smell) then it's probably going to sit for even longer between being put out in the curb - 2 to 3 weeks potentially.

Which is plenty of time for one or more of maggots, cockroaches, ants, and rats to get into it. Ugh.

neb

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#3093595 22-Jun-2023 17:36

Tinkerisk:
A second dumpster? If you want to really get into the science of waste, take a walk down our street:

Yeah, I'm familiar with that, four different bins with vaguely-overlapping moving-target requirements for what goes in each one, (bio-waste meaning food waste but also some types of garden waste but not meat or dairy products or cooked veges, and packaging waste which is soft plastics, Tetrapak cartons, tins, but not glass although you can put the lids in) so in the end you just toss it in the general rubbish when it's not quite clear which of several options apply.

openmedia

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#3093598 22-Jun-2023 17:46

Journeyman:

I won't be using this. I'll keep putting my food waste in the regular bin. If anything it'll prompt me to hurry up and get an insinkerator installed.

Please don't. Most of the food waste that goes down your sink simply ends up in landfill.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

openmedia

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#3093601 22-Jun-2023 17:53

rphenix:

Have had a worm bin for years hardly ever need to empty it - honestly less effort than this bin they are providing. For $200 per househould a year should have given people worm bins as a one off.

We had to put in a second worm farm with working from home making lunches plus additional coffee grinds. We generate a tray of worm compost about every 2 months.

We'd still use the the new bin for waste we don't want to compost, or for bones etc which we can't handle. I doubt we'd put it out more than once a month at present.

Most of my neighbours currently put out a full 160 or 240lt rubbish bin every week so helping them reduce would be great, but it requires a mind shift. If you're careful with packaging and seperate the soft plastics you can really reduce your waste footprint. I'd estimate our household at 10-20lt of rubbish a week.

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

Kookoo

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#3093605 22-Jun-2023 18:03

neb:
Handsomedan:

I think the issue with an opt-in scheme would have been that 90% of Aucklanders would have said no, by apathy.

The issue with defaults as de facto regulation has been extensively studied overseas, one well-known example being organ donorships where some countries flipped from very low to quite high rates when it went from opt-in to opt-out. And that's how it should have been done here, make it opt-out so people who go with the status quo still get it while those who actively have no use for it don't.

The problem with opt-out is that if you allow opt-out you need to match it with opt-out from funding it. The cost of this service has been added to everyone's rates, someone mentioned it being about $70 a year.

I suspect what happened here (and if someone knows the facts please correct me) is that the contract for this service was signed by the previous council leadership. Wayne Brown couldn't cancel the contract, but he probably did slash the budget for educating the public and publicizing the benefits. As a result we all just randomly got this new bin we knew nothing about, see no need for, and have no intention of using.

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Jase2985

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#3093700 22-Jun-2023 20:52

i wish they would be less short sighted and actually do a 120-240L food/greenwaste bin. yes the extra bin might not suit everyone but it helps with the amount of people that put green waste in the regular bins, it collects food scraps and it gives the council a revenue stream by commercially composting it and selling the resulting product.

k1w1k1d

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#3093713 22-Jun-2023 21:53

I wonder if Auckland Council set up a composting plant they would have the problems the council here in Christchurch has.

Journeyman

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#3093722 22-Jun-2023 22:46

openmedia:

Journeyman:

I won't be using this. I'll keep putting my food waste in the regular bin. If anything it'll prompt me to hurry up and get an insinkerator installed.

Please don't. Most of the food waste that goes down your sink simply ends up in landfill.

Same place it's going now.

eracode

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#3093736 23-Jun-2023 04:29

openmedia:

Journeyman:

I won't be using this. I'll keep putting my food waste in the regular bin. If anything it'll prompt me to hurry up and get an insinkerator installed.

Please don't. Most of the food waste that goes down your sink simply ends up in landfill.

Insinkerator output is ground-up food, fruit and veg waste that gets mixed with water and goes into the waste-water/sewage system. How does it end up in a landfill?

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Senecio

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#3093743 23-Jun-2023 07:12

We have an insinkerator, the only stuff that goes down there are liquid leftovers. Curry sauces etc... that still contain a few chopped up veggies. You just can't bag stuff like that as they leak everywhere so they go down the insinkerator.

mkissin

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#3093745 23-Jun-2023 07:24

eracode:
Insinkerator output is ground-up food, fruit and veg waste that gets mixed with water and goes into the waste-water/sewage system. How does it end up in a landfill?

At all Auckland wastewater treatment plants, except recently for Mangere apparently, biosolids are sent to landfill. They only treat literal liquids.
Source: https://www.watercare.co.nz/Water-and-wastewater/Wastewater-collection-and-treatment

Jase2985

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#3093760 23-Jun-2023 07:58

mkissin:
eracode:

Insinkerator output is ground-up food, fruit and veg waste that gets mixed with water and goes into the waste-water/sewage system. How does it end up in a landfill?

At all Auckland wastewater treatment plants, except recently for Mangere apparently, biosolids are sent to landfill. They only treat literal liquids.
Source: https://www.watercare.co.nz/Water-and-wastewater/Wastewater-collection-and-treatment

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Canuckabroad

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#3093761 23-Jun-2023 08:00

The wastewater collection sites probably strain/settle to get solids and then have to arrange trucks to haul to the landfill. Disposing of food scraps via the wastewater system isn't the best for the environment if other methods allow composting and becoming soil.

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