USQ project to help turn organic waste into revenue
A University of Southern Queensland project is looking to turn trash into treasure by converting the city’s organic waste into high value products.
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Each year, more than 19000 tonnes of organic waste end up in the city’s landfill, which contributes to the production of greenhouse gases such as methane.
But there is another option, according to USQ professor Bernadette McCabe, which would help reduce organic waste while boosting revenue streams in the region.
“Ultimately the project is about putting a value on something that is otherwise a liability and what opportunities and technology exist to convert it into something that can produce an income stream,” Professor McCabe said.
“We’d like to go beyond composting to use technology to produce biofertiliser and also energy, through converting food waste into biogas which can be injected into the grid.
“This is very much on the radar nationally, but in terms of getting this off the ground it’s a first for the region – it’s about how do we connect stakeholders.”
Professor McCabe led a workshop focused on this idea at USQ this morning, which is part of a project funded by the Fight Food Waste CRC, Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise and Toowoomba Regional Council.
“There is so much opportunity for our region with the scale of food and organic sectors that we have to push and be a leader in how we treat that, both to reach our climate objectives but also to find commercial opportunities to deal with our waste and attracting new industries to tow,” TSBE Food Leaders Australia general manager Bruce McConnel said.
“There’s a growing need for regional economies to create a circular economy out of traditional waste streams, and we’re well placed to capitalise on that need with the support our local university working to a national agenda.
“We’re lucky that a lot of other countries have done the hard work in finding the right technology for the waste streams, now our role is to make the adoption happen.”
Mr McConnel said today’s workshop was about working through challenges and potential brick walls with the process.
He added there would be another six to 12 months of public consultation before the report would be released.
