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Food waste

It's easy to recycle your food waste by using a kitchen caddy to collect your food scraps and then putting them in the green bin. This is great for our environment and economy.

Free compostable bags

Each City of Marion residence is entitled to 150 (two rolls of 75) free compostable bags per financial year.

You can collect compostable bags from one of the Council venues listed below or request delivery to your home.

For home delivery, please fill in the Compostable Bag Delivery Request Form and allow up to 10 working days for delivery once you have completed this form.

Alternatively, your free compostable bags are available for collection from any one of the following council facilities:

Council offices
- Administration Centre, 245 Sturt Road, Sturt
- City Services, 935 Marion Road, Mitchell Park

Libraries
- Cove Civic Centre Library, 1 Ragamuffin Drive, Hallett Cove
- Marion Cultural Centre Library, 287 Diagonal Road, Oaklands Park
- Park Holme Library, 1 Duncan Avenue, Park Holme

Neighbourhood Centres
- Glandore Community Centre, 25 Naldera Street, Glandore
- Mitchell Park Sports and Community Centre, 187 Bradley Grove, Mitchell Park
- Trott Park Neighbourhood Centre, 34 Hessing Crescent, Trott Park

Please bring proof of residence when collecting your free replacement rolls of kitchen caddy bags.

What goes in the kitchen caddy

You can put these things in

All food scraps, cooked and raw, can be collected in your kitchen caddy and placed into the green organics bin along with your garden clippings.

Food scraps can include:

  • Fruit and vegetables including citrus
  • Meat/ chicken
  • Bones
  • Cheese and yoghurt
  • Food from the fridge that has spoiled (removed from packaging)
  • Seafood
  • Egg shells
  • Teabags, tea leaves and coffee grounds
  • Bread and cake
  • Cooked leftovers/ plate scrapings

You can also include:

  • Tissues
  • Paper towels and paper napkins
  • Hair and nail clippings
  • Shredded paper

Keeping odours and pests away

It's easy to keep your green bin free from odours and pests, even in the summer heat!

Here's how:

  • Line your green bin to stop food sticking to the bottom. Use leaves, weeds, grass clippings, shredded paper, or cardboard (with the plastic tape removed).
  • Layer it - like a lasagne. Cover food scraps every time you put them in your green bin (bagged, wrapped or loose) with lawn clippings, leaves, weeds, cardboard or shredded paper to deter flies and absorb moisture and smells.
  • Freeze any smelly meat, seafood or dairy scraps until collection day, particularly in warmer weather.
  • Keep your green bin in the shade if you can.
  • Empty your caddy every 2-3 days, even if it isn't full.
  • Put your green bin out every fortnight for collection, even if it isn't full.
  • Sprinkle bicarbonate soda on top of food scraps.
  • Ensure the green bin is undamaged and the lid stays closed.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a kitchen caddy from the council?

You can pick up a free kitchen caddy and roll of compostable liners from any of the following council facilities:

  • Administration Centre on Sturt Road
  • City Services depot on Marion Road
  • Cove Civic Centre library
  • Trott Park Neighbourhood Centre
  • Marion Cultural Centre Library
  • Park Holme library
  • Mitchell Park Neighbourhood Centre
  • Glandore Community Centre
How do I use my kitchen caddy?
  1. Keep your caddy in the kitchen somewhere that is easy to access.
  2. Line the caddy with a compostable bag. The bags will be provided with your kitchen caddy.
  3. Use your caddy to dispose food scraps, paper towels and tissues.
  4. After 2-3 days, tie off the bag and place it in your green bin.
Where can I get more compostable bags when I run out?

With the caddy you will receive a free roll of 150 compostable caddy liners which should last most households about 12 months.

From July 2022, residents can collect one free replacement roll of 150 compostable bags per year from the Administration Centre on Sturt Road, City Services depot on Marion Road, or any of our libraries or neighbourhood centres.

If you run out of bags before the next annual supply, you can buy them from most supermarkets. Only purchase bags which are certified compostable. Look for the seedling logo and the certification AS4736 which meets the Australian standards for compost.

Woolworths supermarkets and Foodlands in Brighton, Glenelg South and Pasadena provide free compostable bags for in their fruit and vegetable sections which can be reused as kitchen caddy liners after bringing the shopping home.

What can I line my caddy with?

It is recommended using the rolls of bags provided by Council as the liners used in the kitchen caddy must be certified compostable (AS4736). These products often feature a seedling logo to confirm the product meets the Australian standards for compost.

Bags labelled as biodegradable, bio, eco or degradable cannot be used, as these can still contain plastic which does not completely break down and is not acceptable in the commercial organic compost processing of our green bin contents.

The compostable bin liners are made of corn starch and will break down in the composting process just like the food scraps do into an organic product for use on agricultural soils and gardens.

Store your compostable liners in a cool and dry place to prolong their shelf life.

Where does my food and garden waste end up?

All green bins in the City of Marion are collected by Cleanaway and taken to Peats Soil and Garden Supplies in regional SA, where it is processed into compost. The food scraps and garden clippings are chopped, shredded and placed into large piles. Once the materials break down with the help of heat, moisture and microbes over 8 - 10 weeks, it is screened to remove any contaminants and the finished compost product is used on farms and gardens to enrich the soil.

What if I don’t have a green organics bin?

If you do not have a green organics bin and would like one, please contact Cleanaway via their online portal, or by phone on 1800 777 844.

If I move out of the house, should I take the kitchen caddy with me?

No, the kitchen caddy should remain with the property if you move out as it is an addition to the green bin collection service.

Reducing Food Waste

Home composting is the most environmentally sustainable method of recycling food and garden waste into nutrient-rich compost for putting back into the soil.

Visit our composting and worm farming webpage for more information relating to food waste.


Even better than diverting your food scraps from landfill is reducing your food wastage. Visit the Foodbank website for tips on wasting less food.