The easiest way to cut your household waste by up to 40%

If I told you there was one simple habit that could reduce your household waste by up to 40%, while improving your garden and even helping to tackle climate change... would you give it a go?

There is! It’s composting. 

Studies show us that up to 40% of an average household's waste sent to landfill could be composted instead. That’s around 2.5 million TONNES worth annually. 

Rather than sending those valuable nutrients to landfill, composting puts them back where they belong - in the soil.

☘ Composting - Why It Matters

When food and organic waste break down in landfill, with the lack of oxygen it produces methane, a greenhouse gas more than 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Organic waste is also around 80% water, so food waste in landfill also contributes to a contaminated liquid soup of pollutants and toxic contaminates that can escape into ground water and waterways as leachate when not properly managed. 

If you can compost instead, your food scraps become nutrient-rich compost that:
✿ improves soil health
✿ helps soil retain water
✿ reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers
✿ feeds beneficial organisms
✿ keeps valuable organic matter out of landfill.

According to Clean Up Australia, around 92% of household food waste still ends up in landfill, which means there's enormous opportunity for all of us to make a difference.

☘ BACKYARD COMPOSTING

Despite what many people think… composting doesn’t have to be difficult or smelly. If you’re doing it right, it's easy to maintain and it won’t smell at all!A healthy compost has an earthy smell, similar to a forest floor.

There are lots of ways to compost, but a simple backyard compost bin is where many people start. 

My basic recipe is a compost lasagne: a layer of greens (food scraps, fresh lawn clippings) alternating with a layer of browns (shredded cardboard, paper, dried leaves, toilet rolls, compostable packaging from Reusable Planet products).

Keep it slightly moist and turn it regularly to keep it oxygenated. If it is radiating a low heat and gradually shrinking, you’re doing it right! 

And if you are trying your hand at growing your own food, composted soil will help your garden thrive! 

Keep a little bucket handy in the kitchen for your food scraps, or buy a dedicated kitchen caddy with a filter, and take them to your compost regularly. If you have fruit flies buzzing around, draw them away with apple cider vinegar in a small lid, or buy a dedicated kitchen caddy with a filter.

You can start a pile, bury it, or buy a specialty composting bin.

Get started here "  [composting 101 with ABC Gardening Australia Magazine]

[Imagine putting nearly half as much rubbish in your wheelie bin every week. For many households, composting alone can remove up to 40% of what would otherwise end up in landfill.]

☘ COMPOSTING WITHOUT A BACKYARD

These days you don't even need a backyard to compost. There are plenty of options for apartments, townhouses and smaller homes, depending on your space and lifestyle.

✿ Worm Farms
A compact worm farm is great for small yards or patios and verandas. They don’t take up much room, are surprisingly easy to maintain and produce fantastic fertiliser for your garden. 

✿ Bokashi Bins
Ideal for apartments and indoor spaces, a Bokashi system ferments your food scraps in an airtight environment and creates a liquid fertiliser that plants love! What’s left can be buried in soil or added to compost.

✿ Share your scraps 
Have some neighbours with chooks or compost bins? You might find someone close by on a neighbourhood noticeboard, or find your nearest Community Garden. They generally love veggie scrap donations and will often have easily accessible bins. 

✿ Go-go a FOGO
Some Council area roadside services include FOGO bins (Food Organics Garden Organics) so check what collections your local Council has available. 

Whether you’ve been composting for years or just thinking about starting, well done! Every little bit helps. And composting is genuinely simple, doesn't require expensive equipment and importantly, doesn't take much time.

Every banana peel, coffee ground and carrot peel you compost is one less contribution to landfill.

The planet - and your garden - will thank you.

Save or print this handy composting bin guide and stick it near your compost bin or kitchen caddy.

Author: Rachel
Less Waste Advocate

First Published: August 2026
Updated: 

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All our blog articles written by Rachel or our Guest Contributors are well researched and 100% written by a real person with lived experience in sustainable living. We hope you have learned something new, been inspired to make a small difference or simply enjoyed the read. To read more sustainable living articles, head over to our main blog page.

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