Food scraps collection trial shows appetite for a city-wide service
Published on 04 September 2023
Palmerston North’s food scraps collection trial has saved a whopping 16,010 kilograms of food from wasting away at landfill. The five-month trial with 14 streets across the city ended last week and Council are celebrating its results.
Group Manager of Property and Resource Recovery, Bryce Hosking, says the results and insights speak volumes.
“The trial has saved 16.01 tonnes of food from wasting away at landfill, and we couldn't be prouder of the impact it has made on our community and the environment. All of this food has been put to good use and turned into compost up at our Awapuni Resource Recovery park."
The trial was rolled out in late March to 14 streets scattered across the city. Out of the 14 streets participating in the trial, an average of 228 households placed their food scraps bins out for collection each Wednesday. This is an average presentation rate of 43%, which is higher than other parts of the country that have a food scraps collection service.
Mr Hosking said a lot of feedback from participants has been received already.
“Most of the feedback received is really positive and a lot of people were surprised at how much food they had been throwing away each week. Some people said their weekly rubbish was cut down by half and a lot of people will be changing their waste habits going forward, like taking up composting. People also tend to like the size of the bin and said it was simple and convenient to use.”
This year the Government announced the intention that all councils will be required to roll out a collection service of this sort by 2030.
“The exact timing and details of this are yet to be determined. But the information and insights we’ve gathered during this trial have been extremely valuable and will inform our planning.”
A report will be going to Council next month to highlight key findings.
The survey is open to participants until 13 September for them to have their say on the trial. Participants have also been offered a free compost bin to thank them for taking part and these will be delivered next week to households who requested one.
“As the trial has come to an end, we’re celebrating this massive achievement and set our sights on a future where food waste becomes a thing of the past.”