Hi Landcarer’s

Elvis has officially left the building….back to normal life…no more teasing and curling.

I just have to share information from an article that I saw recently covering a trial that was undertaken by Bega Valley Council in 2019.

The trial provided 50 local families with compostable nappies to use and these nappies were recycled through the Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) kerbside collection.

The issue of managing disposable nappies and sanitary products in our bin systems is one of the most discussed topics in waste management….and if anyone has a gripe about red bins…this will be part of the argument.

I know first-hand the battle of disposable verses cloth. Cloth nappies are hard work!

The company that is producing the compostable nappies (and sanitary products) is based in Tasmania! Eenee Compostable Nappies Australia. Their website explains that they have spent over 25 years creating a sustainable system where their products can be recycled through commercial composting. Note that this is not your traditional compost heap in the backyard.

They say that if we could recycle just the baby nappies used in Australia in one year, it would equate to nearly 2% of Australia’s annual fertiliser usage.

The nappies were approved by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) for use in the trial. I also noticed on the Eenee website that they are NDIS registered.

Of course, it is fabulous to be using these products, but it depends on how green waste is processed and if there has been an approval process by a local council to accept this type of green waste.

Whilst the trial in Bega Valley Shire was rated a success, the site is reaching capacity and it is likely that it will be a number of years before this is operational.

There is so much happening in the ‘waste space’ for not only organics, but recycling of plastic and other products. It is exciting to see new systems emerging to manage this massive problem that even five years ago seemed unconquerable.

Regardless of what nappy you are using, nothing is ever going to save you from that unexpected explosion just as you are about to leave the house in a white outfit. It doesn’t matter if the nappy is cloth, recyclable or non-recyclable…..but, it is exciting that people are out their having a go and trying to address these issues.

For further information on this article, please go to www.centralwestlachlanlandcare.org, twitter, facebook or Instagram @cwllandcare