supermaket green waste

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by bazman, Feb 16, 2006.

  1. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

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    I have found out my local IGA throws out all their green waste, does anyone collect green waste like this? I know it's not organic, but it is food grade, and I would be composting or worm farming it before letting it into my system.

    Do you think it is worth allowing this type of green waste into my system?

    5-10 boxes of green waste a week.

    Better compost than land fill.

    Thoughts?

    Baz
     
  2. aussiebottler

    aussiebottler Junior Member

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    Hello Baz,

    I work in a large Supermarket chain and I take about 6 boxes of green waste home each day for my compost heap. I only take six because I can't get any more in the boot and my other half won't let me put them on the back seat. I thought that because it is in the compost heap for about 6 months that it would also break down any of the waxes and other things that they put on produce.
    At least I hope that is how it happens.

    Elsie
     
  3. ecodharmamark

    ecodharmamark Junior Member

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    G'day Baz, Elsie,

    Have often thought about all that 'wasted' vegetable matter myself from time-to-time. I did make 'unofficial' enquiries once, and was told that it can't be collected due to "...the risk of it being sold-on to third parties", or some such rubbish.

    I may once again ask at the local super 'muck' et. Maybe they've had a change of policy. It does seem a shame to see all that greenery going into landfill.

    I reckon the aerobic (hot) composting method would get rid of most (all?) of the 'nasties', Elsie. I suppose a lab analysis would be the final answer on this one?

    Cheerio fellow composters,

    Mark.
     
  4. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

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    g'day baz,

    if you can get it mate go for it, they may not give it out as it won't come under the guize of the quality assurance system. they also suggest you should be getting the used coffee grounds from cafe's supposed to be very good in the soil.

    len :D
     
  5. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

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    We don't have a local coffee shop :-( which i'm sure I would enjoy.

    I will try the manager and see how I go, I will offer to write a waver doc where a agree and comfirm that the waste is only for use on my property in composting and worm farms.

    No harm in trying.
     
  6. seussrules

    seussrules Junior Member

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    At the community garden I used to be a member of, we had a number of wheelie bins that we kept in rotation at the various local greengrocer's & supermarkets. The shop-folk would use these as their green waste bins and we would come and replace them every second day, so there was no fear of rotting food hanging around the shop premises. It was a total win-win situation. Of course, we were lucky as our garden was easy wheeling distance from these shops, and we started the arrangement pre-health safety regulation hysteria, so the practice has managed to survive.

    Good luck with the collection, Bazman. I like finding stuff for my compost. I have recently harvested the lawn mowing clippings from a vacant lot on our street :)
     
  7. Franceyne

    Franceyne Junior Member

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    Me! Me!! 8)

    Our local IGA does the same thing and I collect and compost it....waste not want not... I do leave it composting in a hot pile for as long as the heat is in it though...

    Cheers,
    Fran.
     
  8. Nathan Edwards

    Nathan Edwards Junior Member

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    Yeah Baz I do it too, I wash dishes in a restaurant in Fitzroy and on my bike I cycle home about 4, 50 litre buckets of stuff a week and have been for ages. I take any and everything pretty much, especially the coffee grounds. Even the bones and the shells and the rotten fishy bits just get dug in a really deep hole in the dirt. All the little bugs just do their thing. My only problems are ( and I have keep on to it) is exploding the blackbird and sparrow populations (Indian Miner birds don't use my food source for some strange reason) and Rats. So sometimes I have to sheet mulch heavily and back off for a while or just dig those mighty mucky trenches and fill them[/i] with slop till they back off. My back yard is tiny and gets little light so the power packed soil is my ticket to higher yeilds (and I need to find a spot for the fencing materials I just acquired too )
    Go Sick and get what you can
     
  9. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

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    For some really good and interesting info on what compost digests, check out the online book (the whole thing, photos & all -- FREE) The Humanure Handbook. Even if you're not composting human turds, the composting info alone is worth reading.

    https://www.weblife.org/humanure/default.html

    Sue
     
  10. mariet

    mariet Junior Member

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    supermarket green waste

    I found that when I ask for vege scraps I usually get boxes of mostly cauliflour and cabbage leaves. The chooks eat a bit but the rest I put through the mulcher and then spread. Can't put too much as it gets slushy but spread thinly it seemed to go well. I'm not sure whatever happened to all the other scraps. My dream would be to be able to feed these scraps to animals such as goats, rabbits etc and use the manure, but unfortunately short on land and living in town is prohibitive.
     
  11. hugh

    hugh Junior Member

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    the other suggestion i woud make is getting green waste from the fruit and vegetable market such as Vic Markets, Preston Market etc or Paddy's Market in NSW. There is plenty of green waste to be had from these places to add to the compost.

    :)
     
  12. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

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    If Ya want Green Waste Just give your local Lawn Mower Guy for his clippings
    hell fall over backwards to keep u happy saves him paying to dump it at the tip


    Tezza
     
  13. Cornonthecob

    Cornonthecob Junior Member

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    Baz....how did you go?
     
  14. sancha

    sancha Junior Member

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    Geez, Ladyboy, bet you're popular with the neighbours! HAHAHA
     
  15. Sonya

    Sonya Junior Member

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    Hi Baz,

    I believe (and please don't quote me on this), but I vaguely recall someone saying that even certified organic places are allowed to get non-organic matter and use it as long as it goes through the composting system - as you are planning on doing. Regardless, as long as things go through composting, they should be fine.

    We get a couple of boxes of organic waste from our local organic food shop a week. Gets shared out between chooks, worms and compost bins. Just have to clean up the chook yard at the end of the day and throw all the 'leftovers' into the compost to prevent any rat problems.

    Cheers,
    Sonya.
     

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