The 1930s saw crates of unsold vegetables from the city’s markets tossed off barges in the Hauraki Gulf. The crates that found their way to the shores of the east coast bays were quickly scooped up by locals and shared amongst the community.
While these days no one wants to see good vegetables go to waste, Auckland residents can now ensure even food scraps get a second life.
To turn your food scraps into more good food, look no further than the new green bin that has arrived on the grass verge outside your property.
Residents in Albany and East Coast Bays start receiving their Auckland Council food scraps bins from this week with deliveries of the bins to the rest of the North Shore continuing throughout the month of June. Collections start one week after delivery of the bins.
Auckland Council General Manager Waste Solutions Parul Sood says, “By residents using the food scraps collection, there is potential to prevent large amounts of waste going to landfill and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the process.
“The trial in Northcote was well received so we are sure that residents will embrace the new food scraps collection and see its value.”
Once collected, the food scraps are transported to Ecogas, an organics processing facility in Reporoa, and converted into renewable resources. Empty trucks returning from Auckland to the Waikato region are used to transport food scraps to the plant, so the collection does not result in additional trips.
Using anaerobic digestion technology, bacteria ‘eat’ the food scraps and break them down into valuable by-products – biogas, renewable energy and fertiliser. Renewable energy in Auckland’s case is used to grow tomatoes in glasshouses near to the Reporoa facility.
Each household will receive a kerbside bin, kitchen caddy, compostable bin liners and an information booklet. The food scraps bins will be collected kerbside weekly along with residents’ weekly rubbish collection.
Today’s residents will be joining past generations of North Shore residents who made the most of what they had and left nothing to waste.
Kī ana te rukenga kai i ngā taiora, mā tātou e huri hei rauemi.
Food scraps are full of nutrients, let’s turn them into a resource.
For more information about the food scraps collection visit the Auckland Council website.
