Campus Food Waste Tracking

The University of Newcastle actively measures and manages food waste across its campuses as part of its commitment to sustainability and responsible consumption. Organic food collection bins have been strategically placed in dining areas and food outlets to capture food scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, and certified compostable packaging. These materials are collected by EarthPower Technologies, an Australian food waste-to-energy company, and converted into nutrient-rich fertiliser and green electricity through anaerobic digestion.

In 2024, the University diverted a total of 27.86 metric tonnes of food and organic waste from landfill across all campuses—a significant contribution to reducing methane emissions and supporting circular economy practices.

The locations of organics recycling bins are available via the interactive campus map, making it easy for students, staff, and visitors to participate in the program.

This initiative is part of a broader strategy to track and reduce food waste generated from university dining services, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the University's Environmental Sustainability Plan.

Organic Food Waste Tracking


Did you know


Roughly one third of food produced ends up being wasted

When food rots in landfill it produces methane, which is 25 times more potent than the CO2 produced by cars. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, compost adds valuable organic matter back into our soils, while reducing the amount of waste going into landfill.

Your morning (and afternoon) coffee

The average cafe uses 60kg of spent coffee grounds a week, while 90% of cafes across Australia send their coffee grounds to landfill.

The University has teamed up with an Australian first food waste energy company called EarthPower Technologies

Using anaerobic digestion technology, they convert solid and liquid food waste into a combustible gas similar to natural gas. There is an additional benefit in that the by-product of the process being a nutrient rich fertiliser.

Composting meal and plate

The compost bins can also recycle compostable packaging and utensils as registered under the Australian Standard for Compostability (Australia: AS4736). This could include items made from sugarcane, bamboo, paper or wood.