The NSW Government has legislated that all councils are to provide residents with a food waste collection service by 2030 – a big and exciting change for all households.
Such a big change requires a considered implementation and on the Northern Beaches we are taking a staged approach, starting with a two-phased pilot program of around 3,000 households from late 2025 and into 2026.
Phase 1 – green bin
Phase 1 of the pilot will run from late October 2025 to March 2026 in selected streets of Cromer and Dee Why with a mix of houses and units. Check to see if your household is in the pilot area:
Instead of adding their food waste to the red bin, phase 1 pilot residents will be provided with a kitchen caddy and compostable liners and asked to separate their food waste. They’ll add it to the green bin with their garden waste so it can be turned into compost for agriculture and other uses.
The green bin will move from a fortnightly to a weekly collection, with all other collections remaining the same.
Pilot residents will be contacted directly advising they are in the pilot area. If you are unsure whether you are in the pilot area, please call Customer Service on 1300 434 434.
Phase 2 – burgundy bin
Phase 2 will run from April 2026 to September 2026. Selected households in this phase will be asked to place their food waste in a new burgundy bin, rather than in their green bin. The selected areas for this phase will be announced in early 2026.
Benefits
On the Northern Beaches almost half of the contents of the red bin is food waste. Recycling food waste not only creates compost for agriculture and other uses but also diverts this waste from landfill which reduces potent greenhouse gas emissions and extends the life of landfill sites.
A new service for the whole area
We are working towards meeting the NSW government mandate to introduce a new service for all residents by 2030.
The pilot will inform the design of the new service and ensure it meets the unique characteristics and needs of the Northern Beaches area.
Reduce your food waste now
There are lots of ways you can reduce the amount of food waste going to landfill now:
- see the tips and links on the food waste page
- attend a composting or worm farm workshop at Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre (and take up the offer of a $90 voucher toward the purchase of a worm farm or compost bin).
- contribute to your local community garden (contact the garden first to check whether they are currently accepting food scraps.)
- plan your meals, shop to a list, use up leftovers and store food wisely