NEW COMPOSTING HUB NOW OPEN!
We are excited to announce that our new and improved composting hub is up and running! It has been a lengthy process to upgrade our composting facility, but we could not be happier with the result. We would like give a huge thankyou to our sponsors and supporters for their generosity and contributions. Without them, the project (as well as the garden in general) would not be possible.
CLICK TO READ MORE ABOUT OUR NEW COMPOSTING HUB
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The idea of the composting hub is quite simple. It is a way for people to responsibly deal with their food scraps; reducing what goes into landfill. We understand that (especially in the inner city) many people are not able to have their own compost bins at home, so the community composting hub is a great solution. The facility is open to anyone. Please follow the 3 easy steps and make sure to read what can and cannot go in the bins. Even if you are a master composter, you might be surprised.
We rotate which bay is “HUNGRY” as required and it is important to only ever add food scraps to this bay. All other bays say, “DO NOT USE”, which we hope is self explanatory.
There are large signs at the facility explaining everything you need to know.
Why should I compost?
The simple answer, is that composting has an incredibly positive impact on the planet. Statistics indicate that in 2018-2019 approximately 2.5 MILLION tonnes of food entered landfill from Australian households alone. In Australia, every person wastes approximately 300kg of food per year, with approximately 92% of all household food waste going to landfill.
When organic material enters landfill, is it buried and left to break down anaerobically (without oxygen). This lack of oxygen creates a gas called methane. Methane gas is 26 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas (greenhouse gases in our atmosphere trap heat and have a direct connection to climate change). Methane gas is also what smells bad. So if your compost pile smells, it has become anaerobic (simply aerate to fix this).
When organic material is composted, it is broken down aerobically (with oxygen). Aerobic breakdown is faster, kills off pathogens, does not produce methane and does not smell. Our compost bays are turned every week to ensure the process stays aerobic.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON HOW TO REDUCE YOUR WASTE
DONATE TODAY TO KEEP US GOING!
Managing the composting hub takes approximately 4-6hrs of work each week. Unfortunately, we do not receive any funding from Council or Government to do so. You may be surprised to hear that Jane Street is actually funded primarily by donations and grants. The new and improved composting hub came in at approximately $20,000 (retail cost), including over 150 working hours from our garden coordinator. On top of this, it costs approximately $150/month to supply sugarcane bales for people to use as brown material. As well as other general, ongoing maintenance costs.
Therefore, until the day comes that we are financially supported by Council or Government, we require your help to keep us going. If you use the composting hub, we ask that you make a $25 annual donation (click here to donate) and/or join at least 2 of our working bees to help with the compost.
We thank you for your efforts in reducing the amount of food that enters landfill and we appreciate any contributions you are willing to make.
WE SELL COMPOST!
Once our compost is matured, it is sifted, bagged and traded for a donation of your choosing. So, if your garden or pot-plants are in need of a boost, get in touch and we will organise some for you!
Remember, only every add to the “HUNGRY” bay.
WHAT CAN GO IN THE COMPOST?
YES
FRUIT & VEGETABLES
TEA LEAVES & COFFEE GROUNDS
CRUSHED EGG SHELLS
(no whole eggs)TOFU, LEGUMES OR LENTILS
BREAD, PASTA OR RICE (in small quantities is okay)
REMEMBER, ALWAYS ADD THE SAME AMOUNT OF BROWN MATERIAL AS THE FOOD YOU PUT IN
NO
FRUIT STICKERS
(we spend hours removing these, so please do your part)COMPOSTABLE PLASTIC BAGS OR OTHER COMPOSTABLE CONTAINERS
(they take too long to break down)MEAT, SEAFOOD OR DAIRY
LARGE SEEDS OR SHELLS
(coconut shells etc.)COFFEE CUPS OR COFFEE PODS
(nothing with a wax coating)STICKS, BRANCHES OR WOOD
(they take too long to break down)WEEDS OR GRASS CLIPPINGS
FABRIC OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS THAT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO BREAK DOWN