Could a FOGO bin work at your school?
Springfield Gardens Primary School has introduced a new FOGO bin to reduce the amount of food waste being sent to landfill.
Kitchen Supervisor Kate Mills felt uneasy about the amount of food waste going into the school’s general waste bins. While fruit and vegetable scraps could be composted through the school’s 24 Carrot Garden, its composting system was not large enough to manage cooked food left after lunch, including meat and pasta.
“I use my council green bin for food scraps at home, so I thought we should be able to do the same at school,” Kate said.
Kate approached the School Business Manager about getting an additional green bin. As the school’s waste collection is managed through Veolia, it took some time, but it is now collected weekly and located outside the kitchen.
During lunch, students scrape leftover food into a separate compost tub, while packaging goes into a general waste bin. The compost tub is then taken to the kitchen and emptied into the FOGO bin. The bin can also be used for weeds, lawn clippings and other garden waste that cannot go into the school’s compost system.
The school purchases compostable bin liners once a term to make cleaning easier and is now exploring smaller food-waste bins for classrooms and eating areas. The next step will be establishing a group of student volunteers to collect and empty them.
School Food Matters Dietitian, Danae, encourages other schools to look closely at where their food waste is going and investigate the options available locally.
“Start by speaking with your School Business Manager and checking what services your council and waste provider offer. It may take a little time to organise, but once the system is in place, it can be a positive change for students and the environment” – Danae
A great initiative from Springfield Gardens Primary School that shows how one practical change can keep valuable food waste out of landfill.
If you would like to find out more, reach out to your School Food Matters Program Coordinator!
