Latest news with #NSWEnvironmentalProtectionAgency
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New bin for millions of Aussies as major FOGO change becomes official
As Australia fights to reduce the surge of household and food waste ending up in landfill, the nation's most populous state has officially passed "landmark legislation" to overhaul kerbside collection that will soon impact every home. Australia generates a massive amount of waste, with approximately 75 million tonnes produced per year. In NSW, waste disposal remains a significant issue, with landfill sites struggling to cope with increasing volumes, so much some areas are expected to have their landfill sites hit capacity by 2030. Now, the state government has announced FOGO bins will be mandated across all homes and businesses in the coming years, in an effort it said will divert one million tonnes of food and garden scraps from landfill into compost each year. The government stated that the majority of the waste will be converted into compost for parks, sports fields, and agriculture. Under the new regulations, FOGO collection services will become mandatory for households by July 2030, while businesses and institutions will need to comply much sooner, by July next year. The bin system will be rolled out at supermarkets, pubs, cafes, universities, schools, hotels and hospitals. In NSW less than half of the state's 128 councils currently offer FOGO bins. However with many inner city councils getting on board, that means about 69 per cent of households in the state have the composting bin, according to the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That same agency predicted Sydney and some surrounding areas will run out of landfill space by 2030 — putting a ticking clock on the need to increase recycling rates and divert food waste from landfill. As much as 40 per cent of our regular bin waste is discarded food, according to BioPak CEO and Compost Connect board member, Gary Smith. "And that's what's doing damage in landfill, that's what going into our environment, under the ground and creating methane. If we can divert that, that's a huge win," he told Yahoo News in December. The road to mandated FOGO has been bumpy. For instance, in 2022 NSW councils were reportedly blindsided by new EPA rules on what could go in the green bins. Push to change bin mandate as Australia races against time FOGO bin that turns scraps into dirt in 24 hours coming to Australia New FOGO bin ban looms for millions of Aussie households Meanwhile last year the public was urged to better comply with the rules after the body of a deceased pet dog and even a grenade was found in the waste stream, among other non-organics. This week, NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe acknowledged the state's long-standing neglect of the landfill capacity crisis, stating, "we cannot kick this can down the road any longer." She said the new FOGO laws position NSW as a national leader in tackling food waste, making it the first state to mandate this recycling initiative statewide. Large supermarkets will be required to report the quantity and type of surplus food donated to charities such as OzHarvest, Second Bite and Foodbank. Sharpe said the legislation is backed by significant government investment, with $81 million allocated to help councils transition to FOGO by 2030. According to the NSW government, this funding will primarily support councils by providing bins, kitchen caddies, liners, contamination audits, community education programs, and staffing. with NCA Newswire Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Update after ‘mystery balls' close beaches
An analysis of small grey balls that washed up on popular beaches in Sydney's north has found the errant debris is largely made up of soap scum and cosmetics. Nine swimming spots on Sydney's Northern Beaches, including at Dee Why, Manly, and North Narrabeen, were closed earlier this month due to the debris. University of NSW chemistry professor Jon Beeves revealed on Wednesday that the marble-sized balls were largely made up of saturated fats and calcium. 'We found that they're mostly saturated fatty acids and calcium, so the fatty acids that you'd find in cleaning products or cosmetics, soaps,' he told the ABC. The balls were also found to contain other small items, including pharmaceuticals and traces of animal faecal biomarkers. Professor Beves said the balls were different to the ones found late last year at Coogee, in Sydney's eastern suburbs. Some of the city's most popular beaches were shuttered when black balls mysteriously washed up onto the shore. The balls were earlier determined by Professor Beves to be made up of lumps of human faeces, drugs, and PFAS 'forever' chemicals. 'The ones that we found down at Coogee, they were majority, what looks like cooking oil and the similar sort of fatty acids that we found here,' he told the ABC. 'I guess what looked like diesel, which is why they were black. These ones on the North Shore are much simpler composition than the ones we found.' Professor Beves said the more recent balls were made up of 'hydrophobic materials' commonly washed down the drain at home. Repellent to water, the balls 'stick together like glue' to other compounds and end up in lumps commonly found in the sewer. Earlier this month, the NSW Environmental Protection Agency said it was expanding its investigation into the cause of the debris balls. The investigation will canvas possible land-based causes, such as Sydney Water's sewerage system, stormwater systems, as well as seaborne sources such as a cruise ships. 'We're also looking into potential illegal trade waste discharge into stormwater,' EPA Director of Operations Adam Gilligan said.
