FAQs

Greenwaste is stuff like tree branches, leaves, grass, dead shrubs, weeds and flowers. They are the key ingredients that Living Earth composts at its sites in Auckland and Christchurch.

Foodwaste is fruit, vegetables meat, fish, etc bread, pastries and flours. Any of the above wrapped in paper, tissues, paper napkins, paper towels, food contaminated paper, pizza boxes.

Check out this fancy pants video.

Around 50,000 tonnes of foodscraps and greenwaste is collected from Christchurch homes which is converted into 50,000 cubic metres of compost.

Items such as glass, tin and plastic are removed starting at the beginning with a visual 'picking' on arrival and ending when the compost is passed through a fine screen before being sold.

Do not place plastic wrapped around food, ash from the fireplace timber products and sawdust in your organics bin.

The foodscraps and greenwaste collected from your gate is composted in an in-door tunnel system for up to 7-10 days, and subsequently aged in windrows outside for up to 30 days. Greenwaste dropped off at Metro Place is composted outside in windrows for around 90 days.

The bulk of compost produced is sold to the Canterbury farming community. However an urban stream, Canterbury Compost is now available for purchase by Christchurch residents.

To order visit www.canterburycompost.co.nz

The urban compost, Canterbury Compost, is a separated stream of greenwaste and does NOT contain herbicide residues. Canterbury Compost may used safely to grow vegetables and flowers etc.

By placing all your organic waste - kitchen food scraps and garden cuttings and weeds - into your Christchurch City Council Organics green bin and placing it at your gate on your collection date.

Residents should not place grass clippings in their green organics bin or drop them off for recycling, if they have previously sprayed or had their lawns sprayed with a selective weed-killer containing the active ingredient Clopyralid. Clopyralid residues can cause distortion of new growth in vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes and beans. Remember this is NOT present in Canterbury Compost and you may safely use this compost in your home garden.

• For bags, visit Canterbury Compost here. 
• For bulk sales, compostsales@livingearth.co.nz

Check out our Christchurch contact details below for more information.