Graeme Poh of Bayswater with his worm farm.  More than two tonnes of food waste has been diverted from landfill in just four weeks thanks to participants in the City of Bayswater’s trial Home Composting Program. Delivered in partnership with Environment House, the program helps Bayswater households reduce their organic waste by learning how to compost effectively.
Camera IconGraeme Poh of Bayswater with his worm farm. More than two tonnes of food waste has been diverted from landfill in just four weeks thanks to participants in the City of Bayswater’s trial Home Composting Program. Delivered in partnership with Environment House, the program helps Bayswater households reduce their organic waste by learning how to compost effectively. Credit: Supplied/David Baylis www.communitypix.com.au d490067

A Bayswater gardener highlights benefits of home composting

Kristie LimEastern Reporter

KEEN gardener Graeme Poh, of Bayswater, says taking small steps in home composting will turn into big steps towards reducing waste from going into landfill.

Since starting the City of Bayswater’s trial Home Composting Program in October last year, Mr Poh has changed his household waste systems by forming a worm farm and putting organic waste into a compost bin.

He and his wife were part of 180 residents who joined the program following six free workshops.

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His worm farm has trays filled with a block of coir (compressed fibres), water, cardboard, food scraps and sand.

Mr Poh said since starting composting, his family managed to get less food scraps going into their general waste bin.

“I have to manage keeping the worms alive – there are definitely hundreds of worms and they reproduce,” he said.

“We have got another composting system – a composting bin that works on a slightly different principle to the worm farm.

“It is about getting to a biodegradable temperature where biomass has to break down and turn into compost that you can throw into a garden.”

He said the more residents compost their food waste, the better it would be for the environment.

Mayor Dan Bull said each household involved in the program saved an average of two-and-a-half buckets of food waste each week.

“Over half of the participants had never attempted any form of composting before attending the workshop and were putting all their food waste in their normal rubbish bin,” he said.

“The Home Composting Program is not just about reducing waste going into landfill, but removing a portion of community waste from the waste cycle entirely.”

The City is planning more free composting workshops early this year.