Jo Heeps at her Glenbrook home, where the composting magic happens.
Story and photos by Julie Nance
Jo Heeps has prevented more than 11 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions being released from landfill each year, simply by composting coffee grounds and food scraps from her local Glenbrook café. That’s the equivalent of taking nearly five fossil-fuel-powered cars off the road for 12 months, or one and a half homes off the grid. Learn how you can also make a big impact.
Key Points:
Up to 33 per cent of the material in our red-lidded garbage bins is food waste that can be composted. Hundreds of tonnes of this food waste ends up in our local landfill each week. (As a guide, an African elephant weighs 2 to 7 tonnes!)
This waste takes up valuable space, generates CO2 and methane emissions and causes other environmental impacts that are expensive to manage.
Community composting helps us use food scraps and other material the way nature intended, to return valuable nutrients to the soil. Compost improves drainage, increases water holding capacity, stabilises soil temperature and has a wide range of other benefits.
Jo Heeps is a familiar figure in Glenbrook village, wheeling her collection bin back and forth between Kickaboom cafe and her nearby home. She’s been making the journey twice a week since October 2022.
Although she grew up with keen composting parents and grandparents, Jo didn’t have the opportunity to try it herself until she moved to the Blue Mountains from Glenmore Park with husband Ronnie.
She discovered Blue Mountains City Council was running a program called the Compost Hub. Through this interactive online platform, you can become a ‘champion’, accepting extra food scraps for your compost. If you are eager to stop your scraps from entering landfill, but can’t compost yourself, you can become a ‘contributor’. You can deliver food scraps to a champion or in Jo’s case, someone like her will come to you.
Jo signed up to the initiative and was delighted to get an email from Kickaboom soon after. A wonderful partnership was born.
“I was new to the community and wanted to get involved somehow,” says Jo, a mother-of-two and a grandma of one. “It’s fabulous working with the team at Kickaboom. I always know from the scraps what’s on the menu.
Jo’s compost bins are enclosed in a wire mesh cage that came with the house.
Material suitable for home composting includes kitchen food scraps, tea bags, eggshells, citrus, newspaper, egg cartons, tissues, lawn clippings, garden prunings, dust, lint and hair.
Jo started her compost enterprise with one donated 220 litre Council compost bin, later receiving a second one to cope with the volume of Kickaboom scraps. Over time she added two extra bins of her own.
She averages about 120 litres of organic waste from the café each week, using a trolley to make moving the bin easier.
“After about five months, I put the compost bin contents over different sections of my garden,” she says. “I feel like it saves water as the garden holds the water better. The vegetables I’ve grown and the plants, have been really high quality.
“I used to go to Bunnings to buy fertiliser. Now I mostly use the compost and my worm farm wee.”
Jo’s beautiful front garden that is being nurtured by her compost.
A stunning back garden that Jo enjoys pottering around in with her 3-year-old grandson, who is learning how to compost.
Kickaboom Manager Kat Kroon says before partnering with Jo, the café paid for two red-lidded bins to be emptied twice a week.
“I didn’t feel comfortable about our food scraps just sitting in landfill, contributing to CO2 ,” she says.
“Through the partnership, we saved money with only one bin pick up a week. Just one small step can snowball. Having that community inclusion with Jo, and to know that we are doing better for our planet, gives us more meaning.”
Kickaboom Manager Kat Kroon with some of the café’s food scraps, once destined for landfill.
A friendly and productive partnership: Kat and Jo, with her trusty collection bin and trolley.
Kickaboom produces such large quantities of coffee grounds that Jo can’t take it all. To avoid the excess material ending up in landfill, they offer free bags of coffee grounds out the front of the café each day, which is quickly snapped up. Kickaboom also entered into a second partnership.
“One of our baristas has a cold brew company called My Mate Dave Coffee,” Kat explains. “We’ve partnered with them, giving them coffee grounds. They add essential oils and other ingredients and we are now selling a coffee scrub that you can use in the shower.”
Coffee scrub for sale.
Staff at Jo and Ronnie’s business in Penrith, Truck Hydraulic Solutions, are also enjoying doing their bit, contributing coffee grounds and a garbage bag of shredded paper to Jo’s compost each week.
Jo finds the process of watching her compost contents breaking down fascinating. A keen baker, she likens composting to cooking.
“It’s like baking a cake, as you use all your senses,” she says. “I’m looking at it. I’m smelling it, I’m feeling it. And it’s just knowing that the mix looks right, which takes a little bit of playing around.”
In addition to the compost nourishing her extensive garden, Jo also grows vegetables, some of which she donates back to the café.
Some of Jo’s fresh picks from her garden. (Photo: Jo Heeps)
Here are some of Jo’s top composting tips she’s gathered on her journey:
Before throwing things out, think about what you can do with them – whether it’s recycling or composting.
I bought second-hand books on composting which really helped. The best one was The Compost Coach by Kate Flood. (This is available in Blue Mountains libraries).
Because it takes months for material to break down, the smaller your waste is before you put it into your compost bin, the quicker the process e.g. cutting it up or shredding it. Some people even blitz it in a blender.
Use compost activators e.g. coffee grounds, which also helps speed things up. I use blood and bone occasionally.
Keep turning your compost every two to three days. In the centre of the compost bin, I put a pipe with holes in it, to help aerate the material.
Use compostable bags so you don’t have to keep cleaning out your kitchen scrap bin, which may deter you from continuing.
(Compostable bags only break down well in warm compost. If you don’t turn your compost regularly, it’s best to empty your bag into the compost and dispose of the bag or reuse it).
Author Kate Flood’s book has been a composting bible for Jo.
Jo recommends chopping up food waste before putting it into the kitchen scrap bin, to help the compost break down more quickly.
Jo puts a plastic pipe with holes in it, into her compost bin to help with aeration. The insects, worms and microbes all need air to live but as ingredients break down, it can all drop, pushing air out. Turning compost over brings air back into the system and the pipe approach helps too.
Erin Hall, Blue Mountains City Council Senior Project Officer, Circular Economy, says you only need to start small with composting. Even if you put your material into the compost bin and you don’t do another thing with it, you are making a positive contribution.
“Methane generated in landfill is one of the most potent greenhouse gases and it is Council’s biggest emitter in our LGA,” she says.
“So, when we’re talking about reducing climate change, one of the best things you can do is compost. As Jo has shown, small actions can yield big results.” – Erin Hall, BMCC Senior Project Officer, Circular Economy
Take Action:
Sign up to be a compost champion or contributor or find out more.
Find a compost champion or contributor near you by searching the Compost Hub map. There are many champions throughout the Blue Mountains waiting for contributors. They will be grateful to receive your food scraps.
Jo has been nominated in Blue Mountains City Council’s ‘Binfluencer Awards’, recognising and celebrating members of the community working towards our goal of zero waste. There are three themes: Avoid, reuse and recycle. For more information go to https://yoursay.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/blue-mountains-binfluencer-awards
Book a free Blue Mountains City Council composting workshop or choose other topics related to managing waste that are of interest. A group of 10 people is required.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Our video on Falling In Love With Glossy Black Cockatoos is now up on our Planetary Health YouTube channel (sorry, it`s too big to share here but there`s a link in our profile).
Jayden Gunn finishes his presentation by saying:
"Care is like a snowball. The more people you tell the bigger the snowball gets, and the further it goes. And the more we know, the more we care. And the more we know, the more we`re able to help."
The video is of our fabulous Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo, and includes presentations by Jayden Gunn, BirdLife Australia, Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, and STEM teacher Samantha Bowden from Glenbrook Public School. There`s a link with the video on how to register for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong on 5 July (and it`s also in our profile). Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCERdF21Ud0&t=13s
Today we`re enjoying eating ripe medlars! Medlars are attractive cold climate fruit trees that were popular in Medieval gardens. They`re one of the few fruits that can be harvested in late Autumn and eaten in early Winter when they`re fully ripe. This is a great time of year to plant them for a future harvest. Check out our short video on how to eat them! #coldclimategardens #ediblegardens #medlars #growyourown #planetaryhealth #bluemountains...
We`re thrilled to share that last night @BlueMountainsCityCouncil`s Planetary Health Centre won the Innovative Leadership Award (Population Under 150K) in the 2025 NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. What a great end to World Environment Day! 🌏 This award celebrates how local government can lead transformative change for a more sustainable future. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard with us to make our vision a reality. You can read more about what we`re doing at our website (link in profile): http://www.bluemountainsplanetaryhealth.com.au/ @ph_alliance #planetaryhealth #worldenvironmentday #localgovernmentleadership #nswlocalgovernmentexcellenceawards...
Blocking out a couple of hours a week to step off the treadmill and give ourselves time to nurture our relationship with the earth and ourselves, is one way to keep our creative spirit and ‘lust for life’ alive. If you haven’t done so yet, one opportunity over the next week is to spend some ‘slow’ time in the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre before it closes on 15 June. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News here (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/the-2024-wynne-prize/ @bluemountainsculturalcentre @artgalleryofnsw #wynneprize #landscapes #bluemountains #katoomba #artexhibition #planetaryhealth...
Recognising how violence and war impact the health of the planet, the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative has become a member of the Blue Mountains Peace Collective. On Sunday 25th May, we attended a presentation by Dr Keith Suter on Making Peace in the World Today at the Leura Uniting Church. In this powerful presentation Dr Suter questions why we learn about war rather than successful peace negotiations! View the video of his presentation below and read our full story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/3Fl4WgQ (link in profile)
With an extra day up your sleeve this long weekend, it`s a great opportunity to give nature a hand to regenerate and provide more habitat for our fellow species! Join our fabulous all ages Planetary Health Bushcare Group from 1.30pm and then participate in the Forum on Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm, followed by drinks and nibblies! You can also start the day with a fabulous Tai Chi session at 8am. Visit our Planetary Health Pluriversity website to book in and learn more (link in profile): https://bmpluriversity.org/program/
Or ring 0407 437 553 for more information. #planetaryhealth #bushcare #katoomba #bluemountains #glossyblackcockatoos #landcare #biodiversity #habitat #wearenature #togetherwecan...
In this inspiring interview with Medlow Bath resident Amanda Foxon-Hill she talks about her work with Mid Lachlan Landcare, why Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo is so important, and why she loves her work so much! Read the full story in Blackheath Area Local News here: https://blackheathnews.com/connecting-landscapes-for-glossy-black-cockatoos/
Book in for the Growing Connected Landscapes Forum at 4pm this Saturday 7 June here: https://events.humanitix.com/growing-connected-landscapes-for-the-glossy-black-cockatoo Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day in Goologong here: https://events.humanitix.com/glossy-black-cockatoo-community-tree-planting-5
In a world that increasingly feels out of balance, we’re thrilled to be offering Saturday morning Tai Chi and Qigong at 8am this Saturday 7 June (and the first Saturday of every month on our Skill Share Saturdays). Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art and moving meditation for body, mind and spirit. It is ideal for learning to keep calm amidst chaos but also has health benefits to increase longevity. Harvard Medical School has reported that this gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life. It`s particularly popular in Hong Kong, where residents have one of the highest life expectancies in the world! T`ai-Chi has also been found to improve brain function (like memory and mental flexibility) faster than other exercise and, in a recent study, comparing T`aiChi to brisk walking, the martial art was found to be significantly better at reducing blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease, like blood sugar levels and cholesterol. If you’d like to try it out, you can reserve your spot here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3FxWPgR
Learn how to Grow Connected Landscapes for the magnificent Glossy Black Cockatoo at 4pm on Saturday 7th June. In our first Planetary Health Forum we’ll be hearing from Amanda Foxon-Hill from Mid Lachlan Landcare, Jayden Gunn from Birdlife Australia and Samantha (Pongi) Bowden from Glenbrook Public School, to learn more about the Glossy and how we can all help improve its habit from the Lower Mountains to Central NSW. We’re also launching a Community Tree Planting Day on 5 July in Goologong (near Cowra) to which we’re hoping we’ll get a large group of volunteers to help make a difference for this beautiful bird (and lots of other species as well!)
Habitat connectivity is essential if species are to adapt and overcome the challenges posed by our changing climate.
Join us as we imagine life as a Glossy Black Cockatoo. We`ll make our way through the temperate eucalypt forests of Dharug & Gundungurra land here in the Blue Mountains before leaving the Great Dividing Range for the Wheat & Sheep belt of the Central Tablelands. Our journey ends on Wiradjuri Land, North West of Cowra in the dry scleropyhyll forests of the Conimbla & Nangar National Parks, the start of the Western Woodland Way
Jayden Gunn is an adept wildlife photographer, ecologist, and environmental educator, with a deep passion for Australian birdlife. Through his lens, he captures Australia`s unique wildlife, using digital storytelling to connect people with nature in meaningful ways.
Links in profile to book in.
Book for the Forum here: https://bit.ly/43FzamP
Register your interest for the Community Tree Planting Day here: https://bit.ly/3HwYHa5
Watch an interview with Amanda here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77y2jrCzINo&t=52s
Read more about Glenbrook Public Schools work for the Glossy Black here: https://lowermtnslocalnews.com/glossy-black-cockatoos/
Our newsletter is now out! View our video of Dr Keith Suter on "Making Peace in the World Today” and read about Growing Connected Landscapes for the Glossy Black Cockatoo and the 2024 Wynne Prize exhibition at the Cultural Centre. You can also book in for our Mushroom Cultivation and Tai Chi workshops, and our Planetary Health Bushcare on Skill Share Saturday, 7 June. And PS. We’re a finalist in the NSW Local Government Excellence Awards. Read the newsletter here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4dEFL5u
Yesterday a delegation from the University of Sydney and the Razak School of Government in Malaysia visited the Planetary Health Centre to exchange experiences on the challenges all our local governments are facing, including adapting to climate change, managing ageing populations, and finding economic opportunities for small councils to support their community`s needs. @rsog_insta #localgovernment #planetaryhealth #disasterriskreduction #systemicchange #councils #malaysia #exchange...
As part of an international project to advance science communication for Planetary Health (SciCoPH), Indonesian science journalists, science communication experts and bioscientists visited the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Centre to learn more about what we`re doing last month. Read our story in Katoomba Area Local News here: https://bit.ly/43MFUjM (link in profile)
Julie Nance is a community storyteller with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. In her coverage of the Lower Mountains area, she brings 30 years’ experience in communications, publishing and journalism.
After specialising in health and social issues as a journalist, Julie led creative teams in the government and not-for-profit sectors including the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, YMCA NSW, Cancer Council NSW and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Julie is passionate about empowering people with quality information to help them make informed choices.
Julie Nance invited her 82-year-old mum to join her on outings in Lower Mountains parks, after months of being confined to home due to sickness. With fond memories of family picnics growing up, their quality time together in nature gave them both a much-needed lift.
