More than 100,000 tonnes of food waste a year will be turned into compost
A second organics recycling depot in Dandenong South is paving the way for councils across Melbourne’s southeast to follow Glen Eira’s lead and introduce food waste collections.
Outer East
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Waste contractors Cleanaway have established a recycling facility with the capacity to sort, decontaminate and shred more than 100,000 tonnes of food waste each year.
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Glen Eira residents have been able to add food scraps — including meat and bones, citrus peel and dairy — to their garden waste bin since May.
It is processed by Veolia in Dandenong South and converted into high quality compost for agricultural soil.
The City of Greater Dandeong is considering the introduction of food waste into the garden bin, as is Kingston Council.
“Around 20 per cent of landfill costs could be saved by diverting food waste from landfill and instead turning it into high-quality compost that can be sold,” Kingston General Manager of City Assets and Environment Daniel Freer said.
Vik Bansal, CEO and Managing Director of Cleanaway said the new plant would play an important role in helping to lift Victoria’s landfill diversion rates with a more sustainable way to manage food waste.
“We are committed to meeting the changing needs of our customers and the community. Through continued investment in facilities like this — with a focus on sustainable waste management and resource recovery — we will continue to work in partnership with them to make a sustainable future possible” said Mr Bansal.
After being processed by Cleanaway, the waste will be converted into a high-grade compost for re-use in agricultural production.
The South East Organics Facility is expected to start operating on December 17 when the first vehicles arrive on site and will be fully operational in January 2019.
The Sacyr waste group will open a new organics recycling plant in Dandenong South next year.
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