Sydney Council Tells Residents to Freeze Christmas Food Scraps Before Bin Day

Tony Tsiklas refills a prawn display at Claudio's Seafood at the Sydney Fish Market ahead of Easter long weekend celebrations in Sydney, Australia, on April 14, 2022. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

A local government authority in Sydney has sparked outrage instructing residents to put Christmas scraps in the freezer before bin collection day.

The Inner West Council posted a video on social media advising residents to chuck prawns and waste in the freezer to stop smells from the bin.

“One of the questions that’s been asked a lot is what about my prawns and seafood over Christmas. Now this isn’t new, prawns and seafood have always stuck in the garbage, so with FOGO (food organics garden organics) you can do what we always should be doing anyway,” a local resident speaking on the video said.

“Which is bag up your prawns and waste, chuck it in the freezer, and then the day before bin day, put your frozen bag of food waste in the green bin and put it out and that’s a smell free, fly free, maggot free, way of dealing with your waste.”

This follows the council increasing food recycling to every home to “combat climate change” in October 2023, while also reducing collection times for general waste to once per fortnight.

However, the council has offered to do an extra bin collection if residents call and ask for it.

The Inner West Council posted a link to a site for residents to book extra red bin garbage collections. But one resident said, “they do not turn up.”

The Council suggested the resident report the missed collection online or call the customer service team about the issue.

In a post earlier in the month, on Dec. 8, the Inner West Council provided tips for managing bins in the head of summer.

Residents were advised to put all food scraps in the FOGO bin so they are picked up every week and keep the bins in a shaded area if possible.

Again, the Council advised that locals keep all food scraps in the freezer until the evening before bin collection.

In addition, locals were told to wrap nappies on themselves then bag them in the landfill bin and tie dog poo in a bag.

Food Recycling to ‘Combat Climate Change’

On Oct. 9, the Council announced a new food recycling service that will include weekly collection of the green lid bin for food and garden waste.

The council noted food waste that rots in landfill produces “potent methane” which it claimed “contributes enormously to climate change.”

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne said at the time that expanding food recycling to every home was the “single biggest thing our community can do to combat climate change.”

“We know this transition will be challenging. We are determined to provide the practical support our community needs to make this change,” Mr. Byrne said.

“Food recycling schemes already cover about 30 percent of Australian households including all regional councils in NSW, as well as Penrith and Randwick.

“Residents will be able to book an additional red lid bin collection when they need it and they can also register for a free, larger 240L red bin. We are determined to make food recycling in the Inner West a success.”