Most residents in the Sydney area who live in houses as opposed to apartments have green-lidded bins for green waste. This bin is for the disposal of garden organic material only.

Garden organics for collection in green-lidded council bins include grass clippings, leaves, plants, flowers, small branches and twigs, and weeds. Items which must not be placed into these green council bins include food scraps, compostable nappies, tree stumps or branches with a diameter of more than ten centimetres, compostable or biodegradable containers or packaging, paper goods, soil or rocks, and plant pots.

Garden organics are recycled to become soil conditioners, mulch, and compost.

It’s estimated that up to forty percent of household waste is actually green waste, including food scraps. There is an alternative to throwing out your organic waste – composting. Making your own compost for your garden beds is simple and easy.

Anything that has been alive can be composted, except for animal products. Meats, dairy, and foods that have been cooked can attract rats and cockroaches – avoid these.

For best composting results, use the following:

• Green ingredients. These are rich in nitrogen:

1. Tea leaves, tea bags, coffee grounds
2. Raw vegetable peelings
3. Young green weeds (avoid weeds that have seeds)
4. Grass cuttings
5. Soft green prunings
6. Animal manure from herbivores i.e. cows, horses, rabbits
7. Poultry bedding and manure
8. Egg shells

• Brown ingredients. These are rich in carbon:

1. Waste paper and junk mail (shredded)
2. Herbivore pet bedding
3. Woody or tough prunings
4. Wood shavings and sawdust
5. Cardboard including egg boxes

• Other compostable items include wood ash, egg shells, 100% cotton or wool, hair and nail clippings.

Tips for Composting at Home:

• Choose as large a compost bin as you can accommodate
• Locate the bin away from the house and in the sun
• Keep a lidded container in the kitchen for collection of food scraps
• Make sure everyone in the household is well aware of what can and can’t be composted
• Try to keep a balance of green garden waste with brown materials
• Turn the compost weekly and if it becomes smelly, add some woodfire ash, dolomite, or lime to the mix
• Never add the following to your compost bin:

1. Fish
2. Meat
3. Cooked foods
4. Cat litter
5. Dog faeces
6. Disposable nappies
7. Sanitary products
8. Coal

• Avoid using chemicals or herbicides on your garden, in order to keep your compost organic

Composting will improve your soil quality, prevent greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the need for artificial fertilisers, and save you money.

For large and bulky green waste removal, call AA Adonis Rubbish Removals in Sydney to come and take it all away for you. Don’t be forced to wait on local council cleanup days or unreliable booked collections! We can come to you and remove all of your rubbish (with the exception of hazardous chemicals), including green waste, promptly and without fuss.