While most of us understand the environmental damage caused by items such as plastic and other standard rubbish, a lot of us remain confused when it comes to green waste.
Green waste might sound sustainable on the surface, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Green waste can be dangerous to local wildlife, the environment and even residents which is why you need to dispose of it correctly.
This is going to be your guide to green waste, as we discuss what green waste is and how to dispose of green waste safely.
Please consult the menu for the table of contents.
There are a lot of things to worry about since the ACT announced a Public Health Emergency at the beginning of the pandemic. Australia is not the only country dealing with this crisis, and as the rates of infection continue to rise, there is little we can do but stay home and stay safe.
As we are spending more time at home than ever before, lots of people have been spending time in the garden. While this can be a great thing, gardening activities such as cutting the grass or trimming trees creates green waste.
Green waste, also known as garden waste, is plant-based, organic rubbish.
What is green waste?
Items such as grass clippings, leaves, branches, mulch, flowers, and twigs are green waste. While this might not seem like too much of an issue on the surface, green waste can be just as harmful to our environment as plastic bags and other toxic chemicals. This is because green waste, like grass clippings, leaves, and other garden debris, produce nitrogen when they decompose.
To help make Australia more sustainable, all forms of waste disposal need to be tackled and considering green waste is a growing issue that is the focus for us in many communities.
Green waste is currently one of the leading contributors to the total amount of waste produced across the nation every year. The rates are continuing to increase, which is something residents need to be aware of to stop the issue from getting worse.
Despite the fact it doesn’t sound as harmful as other rubbish we dispose of on a weekly basis, green waste and garden waste can have some of the worst effects on the environment when it is not disposed of correctly.
To protect local wildlife, residents and the environment from damage, we need to learn how to dispose of green waste and garden waste safely.
There are various ways to get rid of rubbish, whether you are using your council issued green bin, hiring skip bins, or relying on a private and local waste collection service to remove waste from your site. However, most of the rubbish we throw into a waste bin will end up in landfill.
Green waste in landfill creates a lot of nitrogen, as it decomposes along with other forms of rubbish.
This can be very dangerous for the environment, as well as local wildlife and residents. It is important that we learn how to get rid of green waste responsibly to keep our communities safe and healthy for all.
In this guide, we are going to recommend various ways that you can dispose of green waste from your home. There are options for hiring a professional green waste service, paying for a green waste bin, or even doing some recycling efforts yourself.
It is likely that most of the green waste coming out of your home will either be garden waste or food waste that goes into the bin. Things such as organic food leftovers, flowers, garden debris or grass clippings are green waste and therefore need to be disposed of in a specific green waste bin to ensure they are recycled.
Not all forms of green waste can be recycled, but a lot of it can be. This is something you should discuss with your local council as they will be able to inform you of their policies for green waste disposal.
Likewise, talking to a local green waste service will give you a good insight into how your area handles this kind of rubbish and what can be done with it. In some cases, garden waste such as flowers, branches, and grass cuttings can be recycled on a large scale which is why you should always put it in a green waste bin.
However, a lot of the practices to safely dispose of green waste can be done easily at home.
As we have mentioned, garden waste can be recycled, and if you want to reduce your impact on the environment, there are some things you can start doing from home today. These include:
During this time of a Public Health Emergency, as outlined by the ACT State Emergency Service, because of the pandemic, it has never been more important to keep your home safe.
You should never skip bin day, as this will result in a pile-up of potentially harmful waste and debris being left on your residence. If you are having issues with bin maintenance, please contact Access Canberra online or via the help line. Access Canberra can also help provide health advice in terms of which rubbish can be disposed of in your green waste bin and what needs to go into the standard wheelie bin.
There are other concerns that come with handling green waste and an overflowing garbage bin at home. Make sure to safely dispose of all food waste safely, keeping it away from fresh produce to prevent food poisoning. If you are concerned about yourself or other residents, request a response from the Health Protection Service help line.
In a life-threatening emergency, dial Triple Zero to protect yourself and those around you.
Most local councils will provide you with green waste bins, which is a wheelie bin for your residence that is to be used specifically for your garden organics. If you are renting, you may need to go through your agency or landlord to ensure that you have all the bins you need on-site.
You may need to speak to the local authorities about your Pensioner Concession Card to get regular access to a green bin. With a Pensioner Concession Card, you will get your green bin free of charge.
Concession cards can be applied for from the local authorities, and there are other options. Those with concession cards will get a green bin free of charge as well as regular bin services for free also.
Disposing of green waste in green waste bins is perhaps the easiest way to act during this time. These garbage bins will be collected on a regular basis, often fortnightly, where the waste removal service will dispose of the garden organics rubbish as required by local authorities.
As we have mentioned in this guide, a lot of garden organics can be recycled, and this may be something your local waste removal service does with your garden waste.
During the pandemic, there has been a shortage on skip bin collection, wheelie bin changes, and green waste bins being emptied. During this time, regular wheelie bins such as home bins were prioritised to keep our streets and homes clean.
You should still continue to use your green bin for organic waste. Green waste bins offer the easiest solution to handling green waste, and even if your local council is forced to skip bin collections keeping this kind of waste contained is the safest option during this time.
Make sure that you do not use plastic bags for organic waste, and instead dispose of anything from your garden directly into the green bin.
This will make it easier to recycle everything from the bin and reuse it in organic needs.
The easiest way to act when you are dealing with green waste at this time is to dispose of it in the dedicated green bin. If you are dealing with a lot of organic waste, such as from a garden overall, then your standard green bin will not suffice. In this circumstance, hiring a skip bin or use a sustainable green waste disposal service company like Ridly might be better.
It is important to consult with local companies about whether they have skip bins for hire that can be used for green waste before using their service.
Disposing of green waste is not as simple as throwing it in the bin, and you need to think before you act. While most residents should have a dedicated green bin on their property, there are other ways you can get rid of this kind of waste.
Instead of throwing it in the bin, you can create a compost heap or reuse garden waste as an organic mulch. Setting up a specified food waste bin is a good idea for most homes, as it keeps this green waste separate from anything else you will throw in the bin on a weekly basis.
It is important that we consider the environment when disposing of green waste to keep it safe for all.
Help lines and Advice
If you are concerned about waste in your area, there are some services you can call.
If you are dealing with a poison emergency, which can come from too many bins and rubbish, then call the Australia Poisons Hotline at 6205 1065. There are also hotlines for those concerned with radiation safety, food poisoning, and communicable disease management phone call drug hotline at (02) 6205 1700.
For any other emergencies, please use Triple Zero menu.
By submitting you accept our terms & conditions.
Call us on 0488 846 336, or request a quote:
By submitting you accept our terms & conditions.
