Going Green: ShareWaste
How this community network is helping to tackle Australia's food waste problem.
Each year, Australian households generate 2.5 million tonnes of food waste – with the vast majority of it ending up in landfill. In fact, for most of us, food waste can make up as much as 40% of what's in our bin.
While you could look at alternatives like composting, worm farms or council-based green waste bins, it's not always an easy or practical option. What if you live in an apartment and/or don't have any outdoor space to set something up?
ShareWaste is a free network that gives you another option. We've spoken to co-founder Eli Bramborova to get the lowdown on how it works.
ShareWaste founders Eli Bramborova and Tomas Brambora. Image: Yasmin Mund/ShareWaste
What does your company do and how is it green?
We are not a company, but a volunteer-run community network. Through our apps, we connect people who wish to recycle their organic waste with people who can recycle it for them.
Anybody can get involved: individuals, community places, small businesses or councils who wish to promote sustainable waste management and community building. ShareWaste is a free platform and anybody can connect with their community to turn waste into new soil.
What inspires you and your business to be green?
Mainly it is a great opportunity to meet like-minded and inspirational people we wouldn't have met otherwise. And being able to use our skills for something that helps others and contributes to a better world.
Why is being green personally important to you?
We have one planet only. It would be great to keep it in the best condition possible for our children and the next generations.
Could you describe one small step people could take towards being greener?
Our advice would differ from country to country, but Australians should start by bringing a reusable coffee cup when getting a takeaway. And of course, start recycling their organic waste.
The amount of compostable organic waste each Australian throws in the bin every week is huge. Somewhere between 30% and 50% of all waste is compostable and can be so easily turned into new soil. That was one of the reasons why we started ShareWaste, anyway – to save kitchen scraps from landfill and give people another option to start recycling their kitchen scraps.
What is one resource that you think people should read/watch/consume to understand more about sustainability and going green?
Think about everything you have at home and every single thing you buy! It's an invaluable source of information and a great start for self-reflection.
Thinking about every single thing includes: where it comes from, how much energy and human work it cost so that you could buy it, how much the people involved in this process got paid and how much money it cost you, how many times you've used it and what happens to it when you throw it in the bin. How far does it travel then, how much does it cost to process it and how ecological is the final product?
Going Green is a series that sheds light on companies, organisations and initiatives that have a focus on sustainability and ethics. We ask a representative from each company the same five questions so you can get a snapshot of the work they are doing to help protect the planet.
Want more info and tips for making greener choices? Check out the Finder Green homepage.
