Rodney may be the last part of Auckland to be folded into the council’s standardised waste service, but that’s no reason to leave perfectly good nutrients in the red bin. With limited space at home, I’m building a worm farm. It’s compact, tidy and brilliantly simple: feed the worms fruit and veg scraps, coffee grounds and shredded paper; harvest worm tea for your pot plants; and let the castings supercharge your soil.

If you’re similarly short on room, a worm farm or bokashi system is a fuss-free way to keep food scraps out of landfill while we all bed in to the new service.https://www.gubba.co.nz/composting/worm-farms https://wormsrus.co.nz/collections/worm-bins-and-farms-for-the-home/worm-farms

If you’ve got a little more space, a small cold compost heap still does the job, especially if you mix “greens” (fresh kitchen scraps) with plenty of “browns” (dry leaves, paper and cardboard). Teaming up with a neighbour helps, too: one bin, two households, half the effort. And for those wanting hands-on confidence

Sustainable Kaipara is running a Mangawhai Garden Workshop series at the Community Garden (Mangawhai Domain): Compost & Soil Health on 20 September, Growing Through the Seasons on 4 October, and Ways with Weeds on 18 October (subsidies available). These are practical, friendly sessions that show you exactly how to get started and what to do when things go a bit smelly. https://sustainablekaipara.org/the-compost-trial/

Closer to Warkworth and surrounds, the community-run LESS. WASTE centres (operated by Mahurangi Wastebusters) are excellent hubs for reuse, recycling and waste education. Warkworth/Snells Beach: 55 Lawrie Road, Wed–Sat 9am–3pm. Wellsford: 47 Station Road, Tue 9am–3pm & Sat 9am–1pm. https://www.mahurangiwastebusters.co.nz/less-waste-wellsford.html

The Snells site includes a Learning Hub with workshops and school visits; Wellsford offers a reuse shop and selected hard-to-recycle drop-offs. Pop in for advice, resources and the odd repair café it’s a great way to learn, save money and keep good gear in circulation

Upcoming Workshops

27th Sept 10am - 11:30am - Compost like a Pro - Bye bye rats, hello black gold.@ The Matakana Hall Matakana Valley Road

11th Oct 25 10am - 11:30am - Growing Microgreens and Sprouts with Pip @ The learning Hub, Less Waste, Snells Beach

So, while the region catches up, here’s the short list for Matakana Coast readers:

• Small space? Start a worm farm or bokashi bucket; keep a ventilated caddy on the bench and empty it often.

• A bit of room? Run a compact compost bay; layer browns and greens, and cover to deter pests.

• Need help? Book a Sustainable Kaipara workshop in Mangawhai for step-by-step confidence.

• Want to go further? Drop by LESS. WASTE for advice, reuse shopping and workshop updates.

Every banana skin, coffee puck and carrot top you divert from the red bin is one less thing rotting in landfill and one more step towards healthy local soils. Start small, start now and share what works with your neighbours.