Earth-cycling is nature's way of recycling. It’s easy to avoid sending food scraps and garden prunings to the landfill bin, where they don’t belong, by joining the backyard revolution of people composting at home. Your choices include traditional composting, worm farming or bokashi.
Earth-cycling is fantastic for your garden and helps the environment. Adding compost and worm farm liquids to your garden soil:
- Loosens clay soils
- Helps sandy soils retain water
- Improves soil nutrients
- Suppresses plant diseases and pests
Composting assists in the reduction of food wastes ending up in our landfills. It turns natural scraps into nutrient-rich compost that will help garden and improve soil quality. Reducing the amount of compostable waste in landfill will lower the negative environmental impacts imposed by compostable wastes being disposed of in such a way.
You can easily set up your own garden composting system and make your plants healthier at no extra cost. Most composting units are designed to speed up the decomposition of organic matter through aeration and moisture retention. With the proper combination of air, nutrients and moisture, waste is transformed into compost.
There are multiple types of composting units, all with varying results.
- Compost bins
- Compost tumblers
- Composting bays
- Vermicomposters
The City of Armadale offers workshops and rebates on composting units. Find out more by visiting our Composting Workshop page.
Switch Your Thinking offers composting unit discounts which you can redeem without attending one of our workshops. Find out more by visiting Switch Your Thinking Compost and Worm Farms.
It is estimated that one person generates up to 300kgs of food waste per year, accounting for approximately 8 percent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing the amount of compostable waste in landfill will reduce the adverse environmental impacts.
Worm farming is one of the common practices available to residents to reduce food waste at home so it does not end up in the waste stream that ultimately goes to landfill where it can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
Worm farms create both liquid and solid products that improve your soils quality.
The City of Armadale offers workshops and subsidies on worm farms. Find out more by visiting our Worm Farm Workshop and Subsidy page.
Switch Your Thinking offers worm farm discounts which you can redeem without attending one of our workshops. Find out more by visiting Switch Your Thinking Compost and Worm Farms.
Using Bokashi units assists in the reduction of food wastes ending up in our landfills. It turns natural scraps into nutrient-rich liquid fertiliser that will help gardens and improve soil quality. Reducing the amount of food waste in landfill will lower the negative environmental impacts imposed by food wastes being disposed of in such a way.
The City of Armadale offers workshops and rebates on composting units. Find out more by visiting our Composting Workshop page.
Switch Your Thinking offers composting unit discounts which you can redeem without attending one of our workshops. Find out more by visiting Switch Your Thinking Compost and Worm Farms.
| Compost units | Worm farms | Bokashi bins | EnsoPet Pet Waste Composter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwelling suitability | All households with gardens and schools | All households, offices, apartments and schools | All households, offices, apartments and schools | All households with gardens and schools |
| Unit location | Preferably outdoors, away from house in a sunny area | Preferably outdoors (can go indoors) in the shade | Anywhere | Outside |
| Efficency | Variable depending on unit, nutrient balance and aeration | Variable depending on unit, nutrient balance and worms | Efficient for food waste. Larger items may need to be buried to complete breakdown | In ground composter. Breaks down pet waste efficiently |
| Odour Levels | Nil if maintained correctly | Nil if maintained correctly | Nil if maintained correctly | Nil if maintained correctly |
|
Cost rough guide only |
Unit: $20-$500 Maintenance: No cost once set up *Subsidy offered by City of Armadale |
Unit: $20-$200 Maintenance: $5-$10 (dolomite lime) *Subsidy offered by City of Armadale |
Unit: $60-$100 Maintenance: $10-$20 (Bokashi mix/ spray) *Subsidy offered by City of Armadale |
Unit: $70-$80 Maintenance: $10-$25 (EnsoPet starter) *Subsidy offered by City of Armadale |
| Type of fertiliser created | Solid | Solid and liquid | Liquid | Solid |
| Compost units | Worm farms | Bokashi bins | EnsoPet Pet Waste Composter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Citrus/ onions | Yes | Small amounts | Yes | No |
| Meat and bones | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Dairy | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Coffee and tea | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Egg shells | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Garden waste | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Pet waste | Yes for vegetarian pets | Yes but must be in a separate unit for meat eating pets | No | Yes |
| Paper and cardboard | Yes | Yes - Shredded | Yes - Small amounts | No |
If you do not have the ability to earth-cycle, find someone who is happy to compost your waste or feed your waste to their animals by visiting Share Waste.
For more information on earth-cycling call the City of Armadale Waste Services on 9394 5124 or email our team.
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