Welcome to the Australian Local Food System Policy Database. This is a collection of policies from New South Wales (NSW) and Victorian local governments that relate to healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems.
For further information about using the database and how it was created see How to use the database. You can search the database by using the fields below. Domain refers to eight broad categories under which various topics are situated. The domains and topics are based on a framework of recommendations for local government action on creating a healthy, sustainable, and equitable food system (also located on the ‘How to use the database’ page linked above).
To cite the database: Reeve B, Carrad A, Rose N, Charlton K & Aguirre-Bielschowsky I (2021) Australian Local Food System Policy Database. Available at: https://law-food-systems.sydney.edu.au/policy-database (access date).
Suggested search terms
Hold Ctrl to select multiple terms. Using ‘any words’ functions as an “OR” search. Using ‘all words’ functions as and “AND” search.
Search Criteria:
| Document title | Relevant text in the policy | Domain | Topic | State | Local Government name | Council type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waste Minimisation for Functions and Events Approved by Council | prohibiting the sale/and or distribution of bottled water. Alternative sources of water must be considered. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Northern Beaches | Metropolitan |
| WASTE MINIMISATION PLAN | Bottle refill stations or public bubbler | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Willoughby | Metropolitan |
| WASTE MINIMISATION PLAN | Single-Use Plastics and Sachets Individually packed sachets such as sugar, salt, pepper, sauces condiments, soy sauce. Plastic/polystyrene plates, cups/glasses, bottled drinks, cutlery, sample pots, cutlery Plastic straws or stirrers for beverages Plastic bags Bottled water Sunscreen sachets Alternatives Sauce bottle dispensers Bulk shakers/pepper mills Reusable serving-ware such as crockery or glass Paper, bamboo, cardboard, sugarcane fibreboard products, Glass jars, aluminium cans Cocktail sticks, toothpicks Re-usable cutlery, stainless steel teaspoons to be washed No straws, stirrers, paper straws or wooden stirrers Paper or calico bags Bottle refill stations or public bubbler Attendees will BYO drink bottles Bulk sunscreen dispenser | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Willoughby | Metropolitan |
| WASTE MINIMISATION PLAN | Willoughby City Council has passed a motion to remove single-use plastics from all Council operations. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Willoughby | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | • Promote at home composting through workshops, education campaigns and information about compost bin and worm farm suppliers | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | 3. Conduct a food waste trial within the CDB. Works Centre Staff/Sustainability Staff Collection Costs Gate Fees Education Campaign. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | A more wholistic view of waste minimisation at events involves the promotion and support of waste wise events which can include controlling the supply of disposable items that are available for sale, buying green products, promoting waste minimisation, encouraging Waste Minimisation Strategy Version <5> Date: <25-06-2014> Page 34 of 76 34 recycling through bin caps, at point promotions and strategic location of bins and evaluation of recycling levels. Council will consider the purchase of bins caps and other promotional material and promotion of waste wise events. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | Promote food waste avoidance Based on the Love Food Hate Waste and Food Know How Programs. Develop a program to reduce volume/ weight of waste per household through the reduction of food waste in garbage | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | Promote food waste avoidance Based on the Love Food Hate Waste and Food Know How Programs. Develop a program to reduce volume/ weight of waste per household through the reduction of food waste in garbage. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | Targeted information around reducing key recycling contaminants such as items placed in plastic bags. Based on the Love Food Hate Waste and Food Know How Programs, develop a program to reduce volume/ weight of waste per household through the reduction of food waste in garbage. Sustainability and Environment, Waste Management Short to Medium Term. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | • Promote at home composting through workshops, education campaigns and information about compost bin and worm farm suppliers | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | • Promote at home composting through workshops, education campaigns and information about compost bin and worm farm suppliers | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | 3. Conduct a food waste trial within the CDB. Works Centre Staff/Sustainability Staff Collection Costs Gate Fees Education Campaign. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | A more wholistic view of waste minimisation at events involves the promotion and support of waste wise events which can include controlling the supply of disposable items that are available for sale, buying green products, promoting waste minimisation, encouraging Waste Minimisation Strategy Version <5> Date: <25-06-2014> Page 34 of 76 34 recycling through bin caps, at point promotions and strategic location of bins and evaluation of recycling levels. Council will consider the purchase of bins caps and other promotional material and promotion of waste wise events. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | An Investigation of options for treating food waste in shopping centres. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | At our last waste audit, organic wastes (food waste and garden waste) made up 52% of garbage bin contents. A range of current technology options for organic waste treatment are in the process of being developed or explored in metropolitan Melbourne. The North West organics treatment facility run by Veolia has recently opened at Bulla and new treatment plants are currently being planned for other parts of Melbourne. The feasibility of creating waste to energy plants using techniques such as gasification and pyrolysis are also being explored by the State Government. Due to the capital intensive nature of such plants, these would require that facility operators secure long term (up to 30 Waste Minimisation Strategy Version <5> Date: <25-06-2014> Page 23 of 76 23 years) collection | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | Organic wastes have traditionally made up over half of the contents of metropolitan garbage bins. At our last waste audit, organic wastes (food waste and garden waste) made up 52% of garbage bin contents. A range of current technology options for organic waste treatment are in the process of being developed or explored in metropolitan Melbourne. The North West organics treatment facility run by Veolia has recently opened at Bulla and new treatment plants are currently being planned for other parts of Melbourne. The feasibility of creating waste to energy plants using techniques such as gasification and pyrolysis are also being explored by the State Government. Due to the capital intensive nature of such plants, these would require that facility operators secure long term (up to 30 years) collection contracts and the redirection of a proportion of state landfill levies to make them viable. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | Organics and design of waste services Organics Collection s • Monitor and review the two State Government Organic Waste Trials in relation to diverting food waste into garden waste collections and recovering food and garden organics from the waste stream. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | Promote food waste avoidance Based on the Love Food Hate Waste and Food Know How Programs. Develop a program to reduce volume/ weight of waste per household through the reduction of food waste in garbage. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | such as cardboard compactors and organic dehydrators for restaurant and café precincts • Trial the use of small scale waste and recycling infrastructure in restaurant and café precincts. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | Targeted information around reducing key recycling contaminants such as items placed in plastic bags. Based on the Love Food Hate Waste and Food Know How Programs, develop a program to reduce volume/ weight of waste per household through the reduction of food waste in garbage. Sustainability and Environment, Waste Management Short to Medium Term. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | The largest contributors to the cardboard collection are food based businesses. A trial of different treatments for cardboard targeted at food waste businesses, which contribute more than half of the cardboard, could make a significant impact on the cardboard litter and amenity problems. For example, a shared small compactor and disposal equipment in central locations. The cardboard collection in Footscray was originally started as a free service by a private contractor at a time of high market prices for cardboard and paper. When the market price dropped, the contractor ceased the service, however retailers continued to place cardboard out for collection. Council organised for the Council contractor to collect the cardboard and the service has continued ever since. The service has not previously been extended to other small retail outlets such as in Yarraville, West Footscray or Braybrook although there is an option in the new recycling contract to expand the service. Council will investigate the feasibility of expanding the cardboard collection service to smaller retail centres. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | The state government has identified two trials for residential organic waste collection, that it will be undertaking in the next year. • 1. Divert food waste into garden waste collections • 2. Recover and treat food and garden organics from waste – with the remainder of waste going to landfill This Waste Minimisation Strategy proposes a flexible approach to the treatment of organics, to monitor and periodically review organic waste trials and the development and implementation of new technologies for the treatment of waste in order to make more informed decisions in the future. The strategy does not propose any immediate changes to the current three bin system | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | The strategy also identified a program aimed to facilitate services in the Footscray Central Business District. This included a food waste trial for food based businesses, introduction of multiple recycling bins and a rationalisation of waste bins. Unfortunately, the budgeted cost of total waste and recycling services was much less than the actual cost. The cost of recycling services doubled, despite going from a weekly to a fortnightly service. As a result of financial constraints for waste and recycling services, the FBD program was not implemented. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Minimisation Strategy 2014-2023 | The zero waste objective was not achieved in the City of Maribyrnong. One of the main reasons for this was that a major component of the target to achieve zero waste was the treatment and recovery of organic waste (mainly food and garden waste) which made up almost half of the waste stream. The treatment facilities and markets for organic waste are still at a very early stage. The Bulla organic waste facility which treats organic waste from Councils in the northern and western suburbs of Melbourne only opened in late 2013. At the moment the treatment of food waste at the facility is in the very early stages, and it is unlikely to have the capacity to manage and treat food waste. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Policy 2014 | 2. The waste management plan should include a site plan showing Waste storage, recycling and composting areas | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Policy 2014 | Council may provide additional services such as cardboard collection and food waste services in designated areas such as shopping centres under specific conditions. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | Victoria | Maribyrnong | Metropolitan |
| Waste Reduction and Sustainable Procurement | Recycling materials such as paper and cardboard, plastic containers, glass jars and bottles, steel cans ,and aluminium cans, printer and toner cartridges, park vegetation, construction / demolition materials and E-waste. Preference should be made for items that are recycled through out existing recycling processes and systems. Recycling of food waste at our administration centre through worm farms can be included also. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Canterbury Bankstown | Metropolitan |
| Waste Reduction and Sustainable Procurement | Recycling materials such as paper and cardboard, plastic containers, glass jars and bottles, steel cans ,and aluminium cans, printer and toner cartridges, park vegetation, construction / demolition materials and E-waste. Preference should be made for items that are recycled through out existing recycling processes and systems. Recycling of food waste at our administration centre through worm farms can be included also. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Canterbury Bankstown | Metropolitan |
| WASTE REDUCTION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY | • Organise 2 workshops for ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ with a celebrity chef and in line with the NSW EPA program | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Shoalhaven | Regional |