In a rare win for sustainability in a strata building, residents of an apartment complex in North Kellyville will soon be feeding their scraps to 120,000 hungry worms living onsite.
The Hills Shire Council-run trial of a “skip bin-sized” worm farm in the downstairs carpark is the first of its kind, according to council.
The worm farm, supplied by Worms Downunder, will produce worm castings and worm tea to fertilise resident’s balcony gardens and shared green spaces.
“A worm farm is fairly low maintenance, and it’s a great way to process food waste,” Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne, said.
The pilot, which aims to divert food waste from general waste in the apartment building, represents an uncommon success story for sustainability in strata buildings. Many apartment dwellers have long missed out on the cost-saving benefits of sustainability upgrades, including rooftop solar, because of the way owners’ corporations operate.
In fact, the Victorian Strata Community Association recently lodged a pre-budget submission that outlined unique needs for managing waste in multi-unit dwellings, such as limited space for storing extra bins as more waste streams are collected.
The trial will also inform council on food scrap separation behaviours and shape strategies to potentially collect food waste separately from apartment complexes in the future.