Have you noticed more autumn leaves falling this season? And some that are still yet to fall, valiantly hanging on the branch well into winter? And that your green waste bin is filling up really fast? You're not alone.
The abundant rainfall Canberra has enjoyed has led to flourishing gardens and, perhaps, more garden waste than ever.
Interesting fact: the ACT government says the average weight per green waste bin was 17.8kg during autumn this year - which was more than a kilo heavier than autumn 2021 [when it was 16.1kg].
And residents are putting their bins out more often.
The presentation rate of green waste bins to the kerbside during the autumn 2022 period was 65 per cent, an increase from 57 per cent in autumn 2021.
The spokesperson said more and more residents were opting into the fortnightly green waste collection since it started in Weston Creek suburbs in 2017 and was extended to all of Canberra by April, 2019.
In the past year, the take-up of green waste bins has also increased from 54 per cent of all Canberra households to 59 per cent. About 6608 tonnes of green waste material was collected from local households in autumn 2022, a 23 per cent increase from the 5338 tonnes collected in the same period last year.
Corkhill Bros director Phillip Corkhill said garden waste was coming in thick and fast to its Mugga Lane recycling headquarters, where the waste is mulched and composted to produce nutrient rich soil conditioner products.
"It is a very seasonal thing. We get a lot more [waste] during the spring and summer than we do autumn and winter but it is still up for autumn and winter," he said.
Canberrans are also doing the right thing, not putting the wrong things in the green bins.
The spokesman said the contamination rate for autumn 2022 was 0.08 per cent while the contamination rate had consistently remained below 1 per cent since the green waste collection service began.
Canberra households can order a 240L green waste bin through www.cityservices.act.gov.au. A one off $50 fee applies for residents who opt in for the service, while the service is free for concession card holders.
Residents can also use green waste drop-off services at the Resource Management Centre on Mugga Lane and at the facility on Parkwood Road, West Belconnen.
"It is heartening to see Canberrans' willingness to use their green bins to dispose of garden waste and turn this material into compost - cutting our emissions," the spokesperson said.
