Don’t waste food waste
With the holiday period fast approaching, we often find
ourselves purchasing and preparing more food than
usual. Something else that is common during this time is
a rise in the amount of uneaten food and food scraps that
are disposed of in the blue-lidded waste bin.
Australians discard up to 20% of the food they purchase.
This equates to one out of every five bags of groceries
purchased. When uneaten food and food scraps are
disposed of in the waste bin, they end up in landfill.
Not only is food in landfill a big waste, it also generates
methane gas; a greenhouse gas that contributes to global
warming.
There are a number of things you can do to help reduce
food waste over the holiday break:
• Plan ahead for any big meals. This will ensure that
you only buy what you need.
• Try to use your leftovers when preparing new meals.
For great tips and recipes that use your leftovers, visit
the Foodwise website
.
• Place your food scraps in your kitchen organics bio
basket or straight into your green-lidded organics
bin. The food scraps will then be turned into
compost, which is a better outcome than placing
them in the blue-lidded waste bin.
Tips to prevent smells in your green bin from
de-composing food:
• Freeze meat/seafood scraps in the freezer until the
night before your collection.
• Place shredded newspaper, paper towel and tissues
in the green bin to help dry up the materials and
absorb the smells.
• Place a layer of leaves, lawn clippings or other
garden materials on top.
For more information on how to utilise your waste
service, visit the council website.
YOUR COMMUNITY NEWS • DECEMBER 2013/JANUARY 2014 PAGE
GREEN
Environment
Taking up the challenge
of climate change
On Tuesday 1 October, Mayor Johanson joined the
Mayors of the Cities of Charles Sturt and West Torrens
to sign an historic agreement with the SA Minister for
Sustainability, Environment, and Conservation, Ian
Hunter. The agreement underpins the commitment and
working collaboration of the three Councils, along
with the State and Commonwealth Governments,
in planning for the risks of climate change in the
western Adelaide region.
The regional alliance is undertaking a major project
to understand the issues, plan positively and tackle
the emerging risks, in partnership with the region’s
community and business sectors. For further information
regarding the project, and the results of the initial
research into the region’s climate future, see Council’s
website page ‘Climate Change Planning’.
The next stages of the project will be undertaken in 2014,
and will include detailed research on key local issues
including sea level rise, the vulnerability of particular
communities, and the potential risks to the natural
environment and open spaces. To gain relevant input into
the study, the next stages will also include consultation
with the community in the Western Region. The approach
will aim to ensure the issues and opportunities facing us
in this challenging area are included in future planning.
The historically strong community spirit of the western
region will be the most valuable resource to underpin
this project’s success
Agreement signing event - From left : Mr Paul Caica MP, Mayor Kirsten Alexander (City of Charles Sturt),
Mayor Gary Johanson (City of Port Adelaide Enfield) and Mayor John Trainer (City of West Torrens)
