Top tips to choose and use a kitchen caddy for recycling

Use this blog to find out how to choose the right kitchen caddy and how to collect food scraps to put in your compost bin, worm farm or your local community composting hub.

Types of caddies

While you can buy a purpose-made kitchen caddy, you can also reuse or recycle an existing container like a:

• glass coffee jar
• ice cream, yoghurt or feta container
• old food storage container
• stainless steel cooking pot.

Caddies provided by Brisbane City Council

Council programs such as the community composting hub program and the recently paused food waste recycling service provided caddies for participants. These caddies are made from 100% recycled plastic and if they become cracked or broken, they can be recycled in your household yellow-lid recycling bin.

Key caddy features

A good kitchen caddy should have the following features:

• a tight-fitting lid that is easy to open
• a handle for carrying it to your disposal location
• a minimum capacity of two litres - size should be determined by the amount of food waste your household generates
• wide enough to scrape food scraps into from a standard cutting board
• conveniently sized so it fits on your benchtop or in your fridge.

Tips for using your caddy

• Empty your caddy every one to three days (more often in warm-hot weather) to avoid smells and rinse after every use.
• Keep smelly foods in the freezer until you are ready to empty the caddy.
• If you have space, keep your caddy in your fridge to prevent insects.
• Do not place meat or dairy in the caddy.
• Firmly close the lid of the caddy after each use to prevent insects.
• Place a fly food cover net over your caddy to prevent insects.
• Place a cup of apple cider vinegar beside your caddy to capture vinegar flies. You will need to cover the top with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in it.
• Sprinkle vinegar, bi-carb soda, charcoal, or eucalyptus oil in the caddy to absorb and dissipate odours.
• Put your caddy in the dishwasher or use kitchen soap for a thorough clean each week.

Do not use compostable bin liners

Please don't use compostable bin liners because:

• they are made from materials such as potato or corn starch and require specific conditions to break down. These conditions are not always available in home composting systems.
• compostable and biodegradable bags:
  • contribute to carbon emissions during the manufacturing and distribution process
  • are single-use items that can't be reused and don't support the Queensland Government's ban on single-use plastic items.

What to collect in your caddy

• fruit and vegetable scraps
• leftover food scraps (cooked and uncooked), excluding meat, bones, dairy and seafood
• takeaway food, excluding meat, bones, dairy and seafood
• loose leaf tea leaves, coffee grounds
• eggshells
• mouldy bread, cereal, pasta, rice, grains.

Note: Bread, cereal, pasta, rice, grains and leftovers are not accepted at community composting hubs.

Emptying your caddy

Related links

• Compost rebate program
• Food waste in Brisbane
• Save Money Save Food challenge