Waitaki residents may get money from the Waitaki District Council to help them buy compost bins under a green-waste programme to reduce the amount of rubbish going in to the Oamaru and Palmerston landfills.
The council is working on two initiatives to make it easier and cheaper for people to dispose of garden waste, one of which could involve subsidising home compost bins.
The council's solid waste officer, Gerry O'Neill, last week said the council had set aside $20,000 to encourage home composting and to implement a community education programme.
From Saturday, October 24, it will start "Greenwaste Saturdays" at the Oamaru landfill to make disposal of garden waste easier and cheaper for Waitaki residents.
The Oamaru landfill will close at midday (it is usually open till 6pm from September to March and till 5pm from April to August) so it can reopen the green-waste area from 1pm to 4pm.
People will pay for disposal of green waste by weight instead of volume, which will save them a considerable amount of money.
For example, one resident recently took trees and branches for disposal and paid by volume, which cost about $160, Mr O'Neill said.
If he had paid by weight, the cost would have been about $20.
However, Mr O'Neill also stressed weighty material, such as bulk grass clippings, would cost more.
The green waste disposed of on "Greenwaste Saturdays" would be mulched and used as cover to grow grass on the final landfill cap.
It would not go into the landfill.
The council was still working on the composting education and bin programme and details should be known next month.
Council staff were investigating how to make the most of the programme's $20,000 budget.
"The benefits of home composting are many.
Composting green waste at home reduces travel costs, disposal fees, greenhouse gas emissions and the council's processing costs.
It encourages individual responsibility by dealing with waste at the source," Mr O'Neill said.
In addition to reducing the amount of waste going to landfill, home composting:Encouraged people to grow their own vegetables and promoted healthy eating.
Aligned with the "push play for 30 minutes a day" message and helped the fight against obesity and diabetes.
Promoted healthier lifestyles associated with gardening.
Reduced packaging waste.
However, some people found it difficult to get good compost and green waste often ended up in wheelie bins.
Home composting and the "Greenwaste Saturdays" was a solution.
