Waverley, Randwick and Woollahra Councils Home Composting Project

CONCLUSION 

Following the documented evaluation of the current residential waste management practices, the existing home composting project and the benefits of the expansion of the home composting programme across the three Councils outlined above, the following conclusions can be made.

Current waste management system

•   The current combined landfill emissions for all councils exceed 13,000 tonnes of CO2-e.

•   Randwick Council produces more residual waste (larger population) and therefore

  generates more landfill emissions than the other Councils

•   Woollahra has the higher landfill emissions per household, which might be due to a higher content of paper and cardboard and garden organics in the MSW stream.

•   Randwick Council comprises significantly more households than either Waverley or Woollahra, and has subsequent higher collection costs.

•   Results from the quantitative assessment of ESDs:

ESD indicator                                                          System performance

ESD1: Food waste avoidance                                      Poor

ESD2: Gardening and local food production                 Uncertain

ESD3: Social capital                                                    Poor

ESD4: Enhanced household waste management         Uncertain

Home composting project

  The home composting project, extrapolated over one year, avoids 34 tonnes of CO2-e emissions associated with transport/collection and disposal of food waste to landfill.

  Results from the quantitative assessment of ESDs:

ESD indicator                                                            System performance

ESD1: Food waste avoidance                                        Excellent

ESD2: Gardening and local food production                   Excellent

ESD3: Social capital                                                     Excellent

ESD4: Enhanced household waste management          Excellent

Expansion of Home Composting

•   The reduced quantity of food waste disposed to landfill and the reduced emissions associated with collection and transport of a home composting programme extended to 20% of the LGAs, will result in approximately a 7% decrease of total emissions associated with waste management.

•   A system with a home composting programme extended to 40% of the LGAs will reduce the overall emissions by 13% compared to the current waste management system.

    The reduced collection and landfill disposal costs of a home composting programme extended to 20% of each LGA, will result in approximately a 6% decrease of the operational costs compared to the current waste management system.

•   A system with a home composting programme extended to 40% of each LGA will reduce the overall costs by 15% compared to the current waste management system..

•   If a home composting programme is extended across 20% of the three LGAs, an estimated $593 would be saved per tonne of CO2-e. If the programme were extended across 40% of the three LGAs, an estimated $641 would be saved per tonne of CO2-e.

  After a four-year period to establish the composting programme, assuming annual ‘maintenance costs’ for the home composting programme of $98,000 per annum (across the three LGAs) an estimated annual saving of $979,559 (at a 20% participation rate) to $2,057,117 (at a 40% participation rate) could be achieved through diversion of food waste from the current residual waste management system.

  Results from the quantitative assessment of ESDs:

ESD indicator                                                   System performance

ESD1: Food waste avoidance                                    Excellent

ESD2: Gardening and local food production               Excellent

ESD3: Social capital                                                 Excellent

ESD4: Enhanced household waste management       Excellent

The estimated reduced greenhouse gas emissions of 7%-13% associated with a home composting programme extension to 20% and 40% of the LGA would be significant. The programme also encourages food waste avoidance and enhanced overall household waste management. Extension of the programme would also have a significant financial impact on councils’ waste management systems, namely an estimated 6-15% reduction of the operational waste management costs. Finally, the programme promotes participation and interest in gardening and local food production which will contribute positively to food sustainability (i.e. reduced food miles), and furthermore strengthens community and builds social capital.