The roll out of an organic kerbside waste service has some in Bendigo up in arms – but others are outraged by how much food is still going to waste. 

When 20-year-old Elizabeth Hindle moved to Bendigo from Wangaratta to study outdoor education at La Trobe two years ago she was shocked by her living arrangements. 

“When I moved into the uni house and realised they didn't have a compost bin I was like, ‘what. What?’,” she said.

“And I realised that for so many people it’s such an easy thing to just chuck food waste into the bin.”

At that point Ms Hindle said she saw a disconnect between people and the waste they produce – the waste which ends up in landfill, releasing methane gas and contributing to the climate change which scientists say her generation and those that follow will live through. 

So the future educator teamed up with others at La Trobe University to help raise awareness about food waste and teach Bendigo locals what they can do about it. 

Among them is 22-year-old Madison Blake, who is equally passionate on the subject.  

Related: New green bins kicking up a stink

“One third of the world’s food gets chucked out,” Ms Blake said. 

“A lot of that is just because a supermarket has picked a date at random and said ‘this item must be eaten by this date’.

“Restaurants too, and consumers, are just throwing out food because it doesn’t look perfect.” 

The two young woman are part of a group of students who have organised a screening of ‘Just Eat It’ – a documentary they hope will make people think twice before chucking out their leftovers. 

“It doesn’t require a complicated technological advancement, it’s just matter changing behavior,” Ms Hindle said. 

In the meantime though, she was excited to see Bendigo’s new green bins. 

“There may be issues people have with cost, inconvenience or if they are already managing there own waste,” she said. “But I see the overall good in it…[and] I hope that people support it.”  

The documentary will screen at The Old Church on the Hill on August 22 from 7pm.

Entry is $2 for students and $5 for the general public – with any proceeds going to Foodshare Bendigo.