Gold Coast trials Commonwealth Games recycling scheme

Published Friday, 05 February, 2016 at 10:00 AM

Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection and Minister for National Parks and the Great Barrier Reef
The Honourable Steven Miles

The Gold Coast is preparing for a green 2018 Commonwealth Games with the launch of an innovative trial to collect and recycle commercial food waste.

Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles said the trial would track the amount of food waste generated and determine how much of this waste could be saved from landfill.

“We were pleased to provide $80,000 to support the City of Gold Coast in coordinating and managing the trial,” Dr Miles said.

“The Commonwealth Games are only two years away and we are committed to leaving a positive environmental legacy and setting up new and innovative ways to recycle commercial food waste will go a long way towards achieving this goal.”

Dr Miles said the trial would identify the types of waste being generated by commercial food preparation and look at options to process this waste.

“Many people are unaware that food preparation generates significant waste, particularly in a commercial setting.

“The City of Gold Coast estimates that 39,000 tonnes of food waste from the Gold Coast ends up in landfill each year.

“This isn’t just food leftovers on plates – it’s the unused portions of the raw product that’s left in the kitchens or commercial food preparation and production premises.

“Recycled organics can be used to manufacture compost, closing the recycling loop and diverting waste from unnecessary landfill disposal”.

Commonwealth Games Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the Gold Coast would host a huge number of visitors during the Games in 2018.

“The Queensland Government sees the recovery of organic food waste as a key part of running a successful Games,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“This trial will help set up a recovery system to cater for the large increase in food waste that the Games will generate while overall providing a lasting legacy for the Gold Coast in terms of better organic waste management.

“The previous Commonwealth Games in Glasgow achieved high standards of recycling, including food and organic waste recycling, and we’re backing this trial to support Gold Coast to do the same.”

Charlie Whitcombe, owner of the Catalina Café at Southport said the trial would initially involve ten commercial food businesses in the Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach precincts including the Catalina.

“We expect these businesses to attract a lot of visitors during the Games. Hopefully food recycling on the coast will become a fixture,” Mr Whitcombe said.

Dr Miles said that in a larger context, the trial would provide data to inform the widespread adoption of food waste recycling.

“Results and learnings from this trial will assist other metropolitan councils to introduce similar food waste recycling programs helping Queensland reduce organics in landfill and the greenhouse gases that come from this.”

The trial is due to start this month and will continue for six months.

 ENDS

Media contacts:0422 580 342 (Miles) | 0475 950 772 (Hinchliffe)