Glen Eira is proud to announce it will be the first council in Victoria’s south-east to introduce food waste recycling.

From Tuesday 1 May, all food scraps including leftovers, meat, dairy, fruit and vegetable scraps will be able to go into your green bin.

This food and garden waste will be turned into compost and then used in parks, gardens and farms to improve soil, rather than being buried in landfill.

Residents who have ordered a free kitchen caddy through Council will receive this in the coming weeks. There will also be a brochure inside the kitchen caddy with all the information you need on your caddy, and what can be included in your green waste service.

Glen Eira Mayor Cr Tony Athanasopoulos said introducing food waste recycling is one of the single biggest opportunities for reducing carbon emissions from services that Council manages.

"We hope to divert as much as possible of the 15,000 tonnes of food waste currently sent to landfill each year in Glen Eira," he said.

"Around one in five bags of food we buy is uneaten and ends up in the bin — adding up to approximately $2,200 per household, per year.

"We need to divert as much food waste as possible into the green bin. This will help us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from waste and save on costs."

There is still time to order your free kitchen caddy — visit www.gleneira.vic.gov.au or contact Council’s Service Centre on 9524 3333.

For further information on reducing and recycling your food waste, visit www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/food-waste