Sign up to Peels or find a compost hub
Community composting is an alternative for people who are unable to compost their food waste at home.
What is Peels?
Peels is a free, non-commercial, community run digital platform that allows neighbours to share their compost bins with others in the local community. Peels stepped in to fill the gap left by ShareWaste when it closed at the end of 2024. Like Sharewaste, Peels connects people with food scraps to those who compost. This allows community members to either dispose of their food waste in a sustainable way or receive additional supplies to feed backyard chickens and make compost to nourish their garden.
How do I take part in Peels?
Peels is free to join. Visit their website and use the map to find a host nearby. Sign up and contact the host and make arrangements to either drop off or pick up food scraps. You can also register your compost bin, worm farm or backyard chickens if you are happy to accept additional food waste scraps from your neighbours.
Local cafes may also be able to participate in Peels if local farms or community gardens have the capacity to receive larger volumes of food waste.
How does composting work?
The hubs are made up of either worm farms or compost bins or bays. These composting systems rely on worms and other microorganisms to break down the food waste and convert it into compost or castings and worm juice. Not all food waste can be added to a compost bin or worm farm. Go to composting bins and worm farms to find out what can and cannot be placed in a compost bin.
What is a compost hub?
Community composting hubs are another way to assist people who are unable to compost their food waste at home. Hubs are established by some community gardens where composted material donated by residents is used to grow food.
Not all community gardens have publicly available composting hubs. Many community gardens have limited space and capacity and can therefore only manage small volumes of food waste.
Pentridge Community Garden compost hub
Pentridge Community Garden in Coburg has a community composting hub which can be accessed during opening hours (usually Sunday mornings and whenever the gate is open) or any time if you are a Friend of the Garden member.
Find out more on the Pentridge Community Garden website or on the Pentridge Community Garden Facebook page.
