Food Scraps – A Masive Problem
When we first got to Bimbi Park, I couldn’t believe how much food was being tossed into the bins, not only scraps but unused food at the end of people’s break. It was like a buffet… for no one! So, Kat and I rolled up our sleeves, built a huge chook mansion, and brought some chickens. We’ve had roosters too, but they can be a bit over-enthusiastic alarm clocks. I love their crowing—just not when they forget it’s 3a.m!
The Food Scrap Facts in Australia
What happens to food that goes to landfill?
It breaks down and releases methane, a greenhouse gas that’s 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide when it comes to trapping heat in the atmosphere. This makes food waste a huge contributor to climate change. In fact, the EPA estimates that about 58% of the methane emissions coming from landfills are a result of wasted food. So not only is tossing food wasteful, but it also plays a major role in harming the environment.
How long does it take for food to break down in landfil
Most food scraps will take anywhere from two to six months to decompose, but the conditions make a big difference. Things like soil temperature, moisture, and how much oxygen is present all affect how quickly it breaks down. In a landfill, food waste takes even longer because there’s less oxygen.
How much food goes to landfill in Australia?
Each year, Australians waste around 7.6 million tonnes of food across the supply chain and households. That would cover over 2,000 AFL football fields, or 67,000 average house blocks 1 meter high. It equals to about 312kg per Australia, and cost households up to $2,500 a year. On top of that, food waste is responsible for about 3% of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions every year.
IT’S SCARY
A Simple Solution to a Big Problem - Chooks
6 Reasons Why Chickens Are Great Food Scrap Recyclers
1. They Help Reduce Landfill Waste
Every bit of food waste you give to chickens is waste that doesn’t go to landfill. At Bimbi Park we divert over 400 bins (about 8 ton) of food scraps from going to landfill and the chooks love it.
2. Chickens Eat Almost Anything
Chickens aren’t picky! They’ll eat most kitchen scraps—veggie peels, fruit skins, stale bread, meat, coffee granules, tea bags, eggs, egg shells, and more. We put all the food scraps in a boxed area and whatever they don’t eat we dig into the soil. Makes great soil with less impact on the environment.
3. They Produce Fresh Eggs
Chickens are nature’s little recyclers. Feed them your scraps, and boom, you’ve got breakfast. It’s the ultimate win-win: less waste, more poached eggs!
4. Chickens Create Natural Fertiliser
Chicken droppings are like nature’s miracle-grow—full of nutrients that’ll make your garden thrive. So, your food scraps aren’t just feeding the chickens, they’re also feeding your plants. And trust me, at Bimbi Park, there’s no shortage of the stuff. Bring a bag, grab a shovel, and help yourself – call first to make sure no one’s beaten you to it!
5. Chickens Are Fun to Have Around
Aside from their waste-recycling superpowers, chickens are entertaining pets. They’re fun to watch, easy to care for, and their happy clucking adds a bit of life to your yard while they’re working on reducing food waste.
6.They’re Natural Composters
Chickens break down food scraps quickly, acting as tiny composting machines. They can handle scraps that would take much longer to decompose in a compost pile, speeding up the recycling process.
Bimbi Parks Food Scrap Solution - One Bit At a Time
Our Food Scrap Bins
At Bimbi Park we have food scrap bins in all the bin area. There are 4 around the park. Put all kitchen and food scraps in them, this includes, eggs, egg shells, all meats, coffee grounds, tea bags, EVERYTHING. What ever the chickens don’t eat we compost. But please no packaging just scraps.
Go And Feed Them Your Selves
Go to the chicken pen and feed them, we also have 2 goats they are vegetarians but they buck children, so please keep out of the pen and please do not handle or chase the birds.
Get a few for Home
Get chickens at home, 2 or 4 would be enough for a house but be sure you build a good chook house with a base as foxes love them, cats and dogs unless they grow up with them may hurt them. I’ve lost chooks before and I’m still upset about it.
I LOVE MY CHOOKS
Camping and Glamping in nature with the mod-cons and the Environment in mind
Camp with a great amenities block, camp kitchen and a licensed kiosk.