AS I’ve been out and about this week, I’ve loved seeing green lid bins lining some of our streets!

The delivery of our new green bins started this month, with the collection service due to commence from 3 July.

When developing our Waste Management Strategy, it was clear from our engagement with the community that we all share the same objectives for reducing our environmental footprint and reducing landfill.

By introducing the garden organics waste service, we’ve taken a significant stride towards this goal, to enhance the overall environmental health of Port Stephens.

For the last few decades, our green waste has been mixed in with our red bin waste. It’s gone through a big digester and used in mining rehabilitation and on agricultural land.

This stopped a couple of years ago and I’m proud to be rolling out green bins with the cost savings we’ve made.

Green waste, such as grass clippings, leaves, and branches, currently make up 25 percent of household waste we put in our red bins.

By providing residents with dedicated bins for garden organics, we’re diverting these materials away from landfill to be processed into nutrient-rich compost, which can be used in local parks, gardens, and agricultural lands – closing the organic waste loop.

Over the next few months, we’ll continue to talk about what can and can’t go in the new green bin, with lots of information available on our website, at Council facilities, and on Council’s Waste App.

I’m confident our residents will embrace this opportunity and make good use of the new bin to actively participate in the preservation and enhancement of our natural environment.

Together, with initiatives like this, we can create a more sustainable and resilient future for generations to come.

For more information visit portstephens.nsw.gov.au/garden-organics or download the Port Stephens Waste app on Google Play for Android devices, and on the App Store for Apple devices.