Home Composting and Worm Farming
While Ballina Council has an organics bin collection service for urban residents, we recognise that many residents either don’t have access to the service or are interested in composting their food and garden scraps at home.
Composting and worm farming are both fairly simple and environmentally friendly ways to recycle your household food scraps and keep this valuable resource closer to home. You just need to follow a few rules and technique outlined in the guides below.
Why compost?
- Compost improves soil structure, adds nutrients and retains moisture.
- Mulch and compost are great for both gardens and pot plants.
- Prevents the breakdown of organic material in landfill, which contributes to climate change.
- Creates a valuable use for your food waste.
- Reduces the cost of landfill disposal for the community.
Below are some easy guides to get you on your way.
Home Composting
Worm farming
Home composting and worm farming items can be purchased at your local hardware store.
Common Questions
For healthy compost you need a mix of green (nitrogen-based) ingredients and brown (carbon-based) ingredients. For every bucket of food scraps or "green" ingredients, try to put in an equal amount of "brown" ingredients. Try to chop or rip things into small pieces.
Green ingredients for compost:
- fruit and vegetable scraps (including peels, pits, rinds)
- coffee grounds and tea leaves
- uneaten food and leftovers
- egg shells, rice, bread, pasta, etc
- fresh grass clippings.
Brown ingredients for compost:
- dried lawn clippings
- leaves, twigs, and cut up branches
- unlined paper and cardboard
- newspaper and paper towels.
See one of the guides above in the worm farming and composting sections for more details.
Yes, minimal amounts of fat and oils can be composted. Simply wipe out the residues with a paper towel or napkin and add that, along with your kitchen scraps, to your compost bin.
See this guide to composting oils and fats for more information.