Compost

An illustration of some leaves and an apple core with the word

For unavoidable food waste, like eggshells and banana skins that you wouldn’t normally eat, composting is a great option.

Food scraps are valuable organic resources that can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions if they are sent to landﬁll.

Don’t let a good thing go to waste. Return the nutrients to the soil by composting instead.

There’s a few different methods out there, from traditional composting and worm farming to bokashi, each with their own benefits.

What to do with your household food waste? (pmcsa.ac.nz)

Composting options (compostcollective.org.nz)

Find out how to recycle or dispose of common household items and everyday products, including items that can be composted.

A to Z recycling and disposal guide

Get started with composting

EcoSolutions run a Compost Connection mentoring programme to give you the knowledge you need to set up and run your own system at home. They will help you choose the best option for your household and provide ongoing support and advice once the system is set up at your home.

Composting programme (ecosolutions.org.nz)

Para Kore is a Māori, not-for-profit, zero-waste organisation. They are committed to collective action for a zero-carbon and zero-waste Aotearoa New Zealand. This can be a good starting point for your zero-waste journey.

Para Kore (parakore.maori.nz)

The CarbonCycle composting guide provides information about composting, what can go into your compost and what cannot or should not, as well as home-composting hints and troubleshooting common issues.

The CarbonCycle composting guide (carboncyclecompost.com)

Compost hubs at community gardens

There are compost hubs at community gardens, where residents can drop off their household food scraps (no meat, no dairy).

These community compost bins help reduce food waste and produce valuable compost for use in the gardens.

Please respect each garden's composting kaupapa and help keep these compost hubs operating successfully by only adding accepted food waste and following any site-specific guidelines.

If you are unsure what can be composted, please contact the local community garden through their Facebook page before dropping off material.

Raumanga Community Garden

Address: 35 Tauroa Street, Raumanga (below Manaia View School)
Compost bin location: Mid-field
Garden working bee: Saturdays 9:30am to 12:30pm
Raumanga Community Garden (facebook.com)

Ngunguru Mahinga Kai

Address: 2A Waiotoi Road, Ngunguru (behind Tūtūkākā Coast Community Church)
Compost bin location: Behind the church
Ngunguru Mahinga Kai / Community Gardens (facebook.com)

Woodhill Community Garden

Location: Next to 48 Fifth Avenue, Avenues (along the path under the Norfolk pine)
Garden working bee: Saturdays 9:30am to 10:30am
Email: woodhillcommunitygarden@gmail.com
Woodhill Community Garden (facebook.com)

Aroha Community Gardens

Address: 291 Kamo Road, Te Kamo (down the driveway beside CCS Disability Action)
Opening hours: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 9:00am to 12:00pm

He Awhi Rito Envirohub

Address: 8 First Avenue, Avenues
Compost bin location: Towards the back of the field, in front of flax
Opening hours: Tuesdays 11:00am to 3:00pm
Email: team@force.org.nz
He Awhi Rito Envirohub (facebook.com)

Our Community Garden Policy provides guidelines for the development of community gardens to ensure they are established in suitable places and well managed to limit nuisance to neighbours.

Community Garden Policy