A GROWING number of businesses are doing their part for the environment by signing up to a weekly collection service for commercial organic waste.
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Lulu and Kit Haircutters owner Kirsty Quach said the addition of the Food Organics and Garden Organics collection service has saved the salon a huge amount of space in its regular bin.
The residential FOGO waste disposal system has been in action since April last year but local businesses, had a choice to opt in and are slowly jumping on board.
Ms Quach said the salon does at least a dozen haircuts each day, which fills the green bin halfway by the end of the week. She said sending hair to landfill is a waste because it has many uses that people are unaware of.
"Apparently birds love using hair to build nests and a lot of the hair can be used to soak up oil with any oil spills in the ocean," she said.
"We try and do all we can to be environmentally responsible because there is a lot of waste in hair salons."
Hairdressers are not the only businesses signing up for the collection service. Local businesses including schools, restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs have also joined the program.
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Gregadoo Waste Facility manager Geoff Pym said the commercial side of the FOGO disposal service benefits the community on a number of fronts.
"Landfill is an expensive exercise ... so a part from the benefit to the ratepayers for not having that cost, it also saves greenhouse gases because organics breakdown in the landfill, producing methane gas," he said.
Mr Pym said the council is looking to gain more interest from local businesses that want to opt-in.