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).
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Hold Ctrl to select multiple terms. Using ‘any words’ functions as an “OR” search. Using ‘all words’ functions as and “AND” search.
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| Document title | Relevant text in the policy | Domain | Topic | State | Local Government name | Council type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WASTE STRATEGY 2017-2026 | Council saw a significant decrease in the amount of residual waste in 2009-10 following the introduction of the Food and Garden Organics (FOGO) service, and then a further decrease in 2011-12 following the introduction of processing of organic rich residual bins | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Penrith | Metropolitan |
| WASTE STRATEGY 2017-2026 | Council utilises the findings of annual audits and community support to focus education and support to increase diversion from landfill | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Penrith | Metropolitan |
| WASTE STRATEGY 2017-2026 | Investigate option to implement FOGO collection in MUDs and rural households. For consistent food and garden organic collection across all SUDs and potential for kerbside MUDs | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Penrith | Metropolitan |
| WASTE STRATEGY 2017-2026 | Residents with green bins were largely satisfied with the provision of the bags and used the bags for their food waste | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Penrith | Metropolitan |
| WASTE STRATEGY 2017-2026 | The Kemps Creek Suez Alternative Waste Treatment (SAWT) receives two separate streams from Penrith organics (food and garden) and organic rich residual. The facility currently processes up to 134,000 tonnes per annum and is seeking approval to expand to 220,000 tonnes. Materials from the source separated organics stream and the organic rich residual waste stream are processed and composted separately. This produces: High quality compost (used in horticulture and agriculture) | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Penrith | Metropolitan |
| WASTE STRATEGY 2017-2026 | The organic material from source separated organic material and residual waste are processed and composted separately. Organics from the FOGO waste stream produces quality compost used in horticulture and agriculture | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Penrith | Metropolitan |
| WASTE STRATEGY 2017-2026 | Weekly FOGO | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Penrith | Metropolitan |
| Waste Strategy 2019 – 2023 | Instead of proceeding with the weekly food and garden waste service Council elected to undertake an education campaign of residents encouraging home based disposal of organic material. Since that decision Council has held two comprehensive efforts to promote home composting. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Greater Hume | Regional |
| Waste Strategy 2019 – 2023 | Instead of proceeding with the weekly food and garden waste service Council elected to undertake an education campaign of residents encouraging home based disposal of organic material. Since that decision Council has held two comprehensive efforts to promote home composting. | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Greater Hume | Regional |
| Waste Strategy 2019 – 2023 | Recently Council staff has been investigating composting options for the green waste that is left at Council waste facilities as Council practice of burning the material is not sustainable | Sustainability and Environment | Home and community gardening | NSW | Greater Hume | Regional |
| Waste Strategy 2019 – 2023 | 13 Council note that separate collection and processing of organic material will likely be a component of Councils next kerbside waste collection contract and the addition of this waste service will likely increase the waste charge levied through the rates. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Greater Hume | Regional |
| Waste Strategy 2019 – 2023 | 6.3 Events Recycling Trailer There have been requests for Council to investigate providing an events recycling trailer for use at major sporting events and shows etc. Currently Council has extra waste bins available for events however there is no dedicated recycling infrastructure available. It is considered that drink containers are the main recyclable material generated by events. The Container Deposit Scheme will significantly reduce the quantity of these materials left after events. The ability to collect $0.10 per container will mean that people will collect the containers. Also the event organisers may want to collect the containers to claim the refund. Recommendation 9 Council not proceed to provide an events recycling trailer but continue to provide extra waste bins for events. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Greater Hume | Regional |
| Waste Strategy 2019 – 2023 | The implementation of the Container Deposit Scheme in December 2017 had a significant effect on the volume of drink containers received at the waste facilities. It was common to receive a large volume of containers however that situation has now completely reversed as the containers are worth $0.10 by redemption. Sporting clubs, event organisers and the general public are now unlikely to bring containers. As a consequence of the Container Deposit Scheme it is possible for Council to reduce the number of bins that are provided at the waste sites. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Greater Hume | Regional |
| Waste Strategy 2019 – 2023 | the long term. Unfortunately the option of composting the green waste appears to be limited because Councils research indicates that typically effective composting incorporating a proportion of nitrogen rich material commonly found in food materials. Before the expiry of the current kerbside collection contract Council needs to be actively investigating what will be the best option for Council. It could to choose to make the collection and processing of organics part of the next kerbside collection contract. Alternatively it may undertake composting of material itself or partner with a local business to undertake composting and then the next contract would only be for collection of organic material. factors. Recommendation 13 Council note that separate collection and processing of organic material will likely be a component of Councils next kerbside waste collection contract and the addition of this waste service will likely increase the waste charge levied through the rates. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Greater Hume | Regional |
| Waste Strategy 2019 – 2023 | The tender process to award Councils current kerbside waste concluded in 2011 and that collection contract commenced in June 2012. For the tender process Council collaborated with neighbouring Councils and consideration was given to adopting a three bin model with most of the Councils electing to take that option. At that time Council did not proceed with the weekly food and garden service as the cost increase of $96.00 for Greater Hume was considerably higher than the other Councils. Instead of proceeding with the weekly food and garden waste service Council elected to undertake an education campaign of residents encouraging home based disposal of organic material. Since that decision Council has held two comprehensive efforts to promote home composting. Given the cost of the food and organic collection in 2012 the decision to not take that service at that point in time had some merit. However when the contract expires in June 2023 there would be very few Councils that will not separately collecting food and organic material. At that time it is foreseeable that Councils cost to landfill could have increased considerably as Council may have constructed lined waste cells that incorporate gas capture. Recently Council staff has been investigating composting options for the green waste that is left at Council waste facilities as Council practice of burning the material is not sustainable for | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Greater Hume | Regional |
| Waste strategy and action plan | Case study 1 Separate collection of disposable coffee cups in Sydney CBD Takeaway disposable coffee cups are presenting Australians with a major environmental dilemma. There is currently no dedicated recycling facility in Australia that can deal with the disposable coffee cup structure, which are mostly lined with plastic. It is estimated that one billion coffee cups sold every year end up in landfill, with the average cup taking 50 years to decompose. In a bid to highlight the increasing number of disposable takeaway coffee cups ending up in landfill each year and to assist with the development of a business case for a dedicated coffee cup recycling facility a trial was part funded by City of Sydney and run by Closed Loop Environmental Solutions in 2016. The four-week trial at Sydney law firm Herbert Smith Freehills resulted in 4,278 coffee cups being placed in dedicated bins, proving that CBD office workers were willing to make sustainable choices when it came to their takeaway coffee cups. If the recycling habits from Herbert Smith Freehills were replicated at offices across the City of Sydney local government area, we could be diverting more than 25 million coffee cups from landfill every year. A similar program in the UK collects used coffee cups and takes them to a dedicated facility where they are shredded and made into polymer, which is then used to manufacture reusable coffee cups and carry trays. The project demonstrated that coffee cups can be collected separately using a clean, simple and efficient system. All cups collected as part of the trial were displayed at Sydney’s Wynyard Park for a day. City commuters were offered free coffee, educated on takeaway coffee cups and surveyed on their drinking habits | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | Food waste avoidance campaign The latest kerbside residential waste audit for City of Sydney determined that food waste was still the largest contributor to the domestic garbage bin (31-35%). One of the City’s waste objectives is to encourage waste avoidance. In June 2016, the City launched a food waste avoidance campaign to remind residents and workers of the amount of food waste going into the bin and why they should think twice before disposing their food. The City’s campaign included posters in bus shelters with food waste statistics and simple actions to address food waste such as using leftovers. The posters were complemented with further information on our digital sustainability newsletter Green Villages and through social media on how to take a holistic step-by step guide to simple ways to prevent food waste. This was done in partnership with Oz Harvest and the Youth Food Movement. | Health and Wellbeing | Education/events on food system issues | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | Want to refill your re-useable water bottle? The City has an interactive map so you can find the nearest drinking fountain here www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/explore/ facilities/public-toilets/water-bubblers | Health and Wellbeing | Access to safe drinking water | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | 2.8 We will develop and implement a subsidised trial food waste collection scheme for residents | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | Achieving 2021 targets in our organisation The City’s solutions to achieving our 2021 targets in our buildings and operations include a mix of improvements to existing waste and recycling services and introduction of new services. New services include food waste collections from City buildings | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | Actions – what the City will do: • We will introduce separate food waste collection infrastructure, where appropriate, to City properties | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | Case study 1 Separate collection of disposable coffee cups in Sydney CBD Takeaway disposable coffee cups are presenting Australians with a major environmental dilemma. There is currently no dedicated recycling facility in Australia that can deal with the disposable coffee cup structure, which are mostly lined with plastic. It is estimated that one billion coffee cups sold every year end up in landfill, with the average cup taking 50 years to decompose. In a bid to highlight the increasing number of disposable takeaway coffee cups ending up in landfill each year and to assist with the development of a business case for a dedicated coffee cup recycling facility a trial was part funded by City of Sydney and run by Closed Loop Environmental Solutions in 2016. The four-week trial at Sydney law firm Herbert Smith Freehills resulted in 4,278 coffee cups being placed in dedicated bins, proving that CBD office workers were willing to make sustainable choices when it came to their takeaway coffee cups. If the recycling habits from Herbert Smith Freehills were replicated at offices across the City of Sydney local government area, we could be diverting more than 25 million coffee cups from landfill every year. A similar program in the UK collects used coffee cups and takes them to a dedicated facility where they are shredded and made into polymer, which is then used to manufacture reusable coffee cups and carry trays. The project demonstrated that coffee cups can be collected separately using a clean, simple and efficient system. All cups collected as part of the trial were displayed at Sydney’s Wynyard Park for a day. City commuters were offered free coffee, educated on takeaway coffee cups and surveyed on their drinking habits | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | City residents’ waste To further increase recycling outcomes the City has since 2012 sent all waste from our residential community that has not been separated for recycling to a resource recovery facility. At this facility all of the food and organic waste is separated to produce a low-grade compost suitable for mine rehabilitation. This process minimises the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to the earth’s atmosphere by not sending the food waste to landfill and can return much needed nutrients to land with poor quality soil. This means that none of the City’s residential waste is sent directly to landfill. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | Food waste avoidance campaign The latest kerbside residential waste audit for City of Sydney determined that food waste was still the largest contributor to the domestic garbage bin (31-35%). One of the City’s waste objectives is to encourage waste avoidance. In June 2016, the City launched a food waste avoidance campaign to remind residents and workers of the amount of food waste going into the bin and why they should think twice before disposing their food. The City’s campaign included posters in bus shelters with food waste statistics and simple actions to address food waste such as using leftovers. The posters were complemented with further information on our digital sustainability newsletter Green Villages and through social media on how to take a holistic step-by step guide to simple ways to prevent food waste. This was done in partnership with Oz Harvest and the Youth Food Movement. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | How we can improve recycling In City buildings, improvements to increase our overall resource recovery rate can be made by updating internal signs, staff education and introducing separate collection of food waste in appropriate locations for recycling at a local facility. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | In 2012, the City of Sydney was among the first group of councils in Australia to send waste from general garbage bins (red bins) to a resource recovery facility. From there, food waste is separated to produce compost for mine and landfill remediation. This helped us divert 69% of waste from landfill in 2016. We want to further reduce the amount we send to landfill by expanding our services to include residential collection of e-waste, textiles, and food waste. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | Opt-in food organics recycling trial | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | Part of our role is to identify those problem items that cause long-term waste management issues and are difficult to recycle, hazardous, or represent a significant proportion of the waste we manage. These items include electronic waste, coffee cups, plastic packaging, unwanted furniture and food. We have initiatives and actions to try to reduce how much of these items we procure and to seek alternatives wherever possible | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | Priority 2 – Improve recycling outcomes We will optimise existing City services, reduce contamination, and explore new services Improvements in our buildings and public spaces will increase our overall resource recovery rate. These include more targeted education programs, and new services (like collecting food waste from residents to recycle at a local facility). When delivering our service to residents, we will provide education materials to improve recycling rates and reduce contamination of recycling bins. We will introduce free weekly booked-in, separate e-waste, metals, and white goods collections from every dwelling. We’ll also provide a drop-off service for problem waste streams at a permanent location, investigate giving residents access to regular clothing and textiles collections for recycling. Residents will also have the opportunity to participate in a trial food-waste collection service. | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |
| Waste strategy and action plan | Priority 2 | Improve recycling outcomes Organisation 2.1 We will introduce separate food waste collection infrastructure, where appropriate, to City properties | Food Waste | Food losses and food waste | NSW | Sydney | Metropolitan |