Food Scraps Collection and Composting Trial

About one third of the waste going to landfill from urban collections in our district is food scraps.

Composting is part of the solution – reducing the amount of waste you’re disposing of, which can then be processed into compost.

In 2025 Council ran a five-month food scraps collection and composting trial for selected households on Queen Street East and West, and Weraroa Road, in Levin.

About the trial

The trial was paid for by a $25,000 grant from the Government’s Waste Levy fund.

Participants were given a small collection bin for food scraps which was picked up every week and taken to a company in Foxton to be processed into compost.

Compost was then made available to schools in the district that are enrolled in the Enviroschools program.

Results

Over the five months of the trial an average 358kg of food scraps were picked up per week– which means almost 8.6 tonnes of food scraps were diverted from landfill and made into compost.

What happens next?

We encourage everyone to recycle their food scraps if possible – you can find more information on ourFood Waste Minimisation page.

Council has yet to decide whether to introduce food scraps recycling in urban areas, now the trial has ended. Watch this space!

 

 

What else can I do to cut back on food scraps?

  • Plan your meals so you’re less likely to have leftover food
  • Grow your own fruit and vegetables so you can pick what you need
  • Make use of leftovers – there are many recipes online. Soup is good!
  • Start composting – it's a great way to dispose of food scraps and do something nice for your garden.

What's good about composting?

  • It nourishes and replenishes your soil, meaning you can grow better fruit and vegetables
  • It builds a rich layer of soil which can reduce erosion
  • It locks carbon into the soil, reducing emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide
  • It frees up space in your rubbish bag or bin and saves you money.
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