Sustainable packaging producer BioPak has launched a composting service in Australia for food service packaging, including paper coffee cups, in a move designed to divert food scraps and food service packaging from landfill.
BioPak CEO Gary Smith said the new service would allow customers to dispose of used coffee cups and BioPak compostable takeaway food packaging in collection bins at their local cafes or workplaces.
The service would initially cover most areas in Sydney’s CBD and inner suburbs.
“By bringing together waste contractors and compost facility operators we are been able to offer a sustainable end of life solution for our products,” Smith said.
The service’s first customers include Allpress coffee roasters, local cafes, and a major financial institution, which has implemented the program at their Sydney head office.
The bins will be collected weekly and sent to commercial facilities to be composted, where in eight weeks, they will be turned into soil compost for gardens or farms.
BioPak founder Richard Fine said the aim of the service was to ensure that the environmental benefit of compostable, single use disposable packaging could be maximised, helping customers to reduce the environmental impact of their business.
“In Australia, we send more than 8 million tonnes of organic waste to landfill every year, including 1.5 million tonnes of food waste,” Fine said.