Welcome to the June edition of the HOW newsletter

In this edition, get tips for reducing food waste and repairing damaged clothing, learn how to make your own cleaning products and find out about recycling reforms.

Eight surprisingly edible parts of vegetables

Learning to cook with the edible parts of vegetables you may have previously discarded can add new flavours, textures and nutrition to meals. What’s more, it will enable you to reduce waste and save money.

Here are eight parts of vegetables you may be surprised to learn are edible:

• Broccoli stalks – Are a nice addition to any stir-fry and can also be steamed
• Cauliflower leaves and stalks – Cut the stalks thinly and roast in the oven with the leaves, olive oil and paprika (or another spice of your choosing)
• Carrot leaves – Can be used to make pesto
• Carrot skins – Carrots taste just as good with their skins on
• Leeks – The green part can go in a stir fry or soup with the white section
• Mushroom skins and stalks – Why spend extra time peeling the skins and chopping the stalks off fresh mushrooms when you don't have to? Note: if the mushroom skin feels slimy it is starting go off and should be removed
• Pumpkin seeds – Delicious roasted in olive oil
• Pumpkin skins – Pumpkin skin has a delicious nutty flavour and can be roasted (with the flesh of the pumpkin) or added to pumpkin soup

Have fun cooking up a storm with these ingredients!

Food saving tips to save you money

One of the easiest ways to reduce food waste and save money, is to plan meals and shop with a list.

This will help ensure you only buy what you need and reduce impulse purchasing.

The big fridge clean out

Is your fridge full of sauces, pastes, dips and condiments you have used once for a recipe and then forgotten about?

A lot of people are using the extra time they have at home to cook new recipes. Rediscovering what you already have can add to your foodie adventure.

To do this safely, you will need to know that difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates.

Use by date: This is included on foods that must be eaten before a certain time for health and safety reasons. Food must not be eaten or sold after this date as it may pose a health or safety risk.

Best before date: This is the date from which the quality of the food may start to deteriorate. Food can still be eaten and sold after this date, provided it is still fit for human consumption, however it may not be of the same quality.

Any remaining unpackaged food waste can be put to good use by composting it or disposing of it in your lime green lidded food and garden waste bin.

Free composting and worm farming sessions

Have you tried composting or worm farming before and failed? Or perhaps you have never given it a go because you didn’t know how to start? Michelle will dispel the myths and show you just how simple it can be – and fun.

Council's composting and worm farming sessions have been rescheduled and will now be held online via Facebook Live on Thursday 25 June. 

• Composting for beginners: 12.30 – 1.15pm
• Worm farming for beginners: 2 – 2.45pm​

Food and garden waste collection update

Residents who already have a lime green lidded food and garden waste bin can replenish their stock of compostable liners for food scraps twice a year, once from 1 April to 30 September and once from 1 October to 31 March.

Liners can currently be picked up from Council’s customer service centres in Frankston and Langwarrin. A delivery service is also available for a limited time – please call 1300 322 322.

Of course, the compostable liners are optional. You can also go nude (with your food of course) and empty your food scraps loose into your food and garden waste bin. Alternatively, you can line your kitchen caddy with newspaper or paper towel instead (no plastic please).

Reducing waste during the COVID-19 pandemic

As people endeavour to protect themselves against COVID-19, you may have noticed a rise in all things disposable. Unfortunately, this has resulted in more waste and although it is up to individual businesses to decide whether they accept customers' clean, reusable takeaway coffee cups, current health advice doesn't suggest any benefit in using a disposable cup. 

This means, you can still choose to reuse when it comes to your coffee!

With Plastic Free July just around the corner, this is great news.

How to make your own home cleaning products

Making your own cleaning products is a great way to reduce packaging waste and reduce the amount of toxic chemicals in your life. There are a number of ways to do this. Here's one idea which takes next to no time to make:

General (nearly) all-purpose cleaner for around the home:

Instructions: Mix one part white vinegar to one part water.

Variations: Soak orange or lemon peels in white vinegar for at least six weeks. Strain and then mix the fluid with an equal amount of water. The citrus peel takes the edge of the vinegar smell.

Uses: Removal of grease and soap scum (e.g. from toilets, basins and showers), cleaning windows and mirrors.

Note: This is not intended for Food Act registered businesses. Registered businesses must adhere to the requirements of their Food Safety Program.

From t-shirt to tote bag

Repurposing is a great way to keep old unwanted goods out of landfill by turning them into new and useful creations.

Click on the link below to find out how to repurpose a t-shirt into a tote bag in 10 minutes using only a pair of scissors.

Singlets can be repurposed in the same way – the only difference is that you don't have sleeves to cut off.

Inspire others to repurpose unwanted goods by sharing your creations on social media with the hashtag #FrankstonCityRepurposedCreation

Recycling - The times, they are a changin’

The recycling industry is changing. This means what you can and can’t recycle via your yellow lidded recycling bin will continue to change. Use your recycling bin to dispose of:

• Plastic containers and bottles (no plastic trays or plastic bottle lids please)
• Steel and aluminium cans, foil and trays
• Glass bottles and jars
• Paper and cardboard

Please remember:

• Recycling must go in your recycling bin loose (not bagged)
• No plastics apart from the ones listed above
• No clothing
• No rubbish
• No food waste

Now is the perfect time to refresh your knowledge by visiting the Council website to find out what’s in and what’s out when it comes to recycling.

All future recycling changes will be communicated through the Council website.

The wishcycler

Have you ever put an item in the recycling bin, not knowing if it can be recycled, but hoping that it can? This is wishcycling.

Unfortunately wishcycling only causes problems for the recycling industry. For an item to be recycled, there must be the technical means to recycle it, and the market to buy it back in the form of a new product. Adding items that are not accepted to your recycling bin does not help.

These items will be landfilled, which increases processing costs and can have in impact on the sustainability of the whole recycling industry.

If you don’t know whether an item belongs in your recycling bin please check, don’t guess.

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