Michael Wood’s fight against kerbside organics contamination

organics contamination

Contamination is an issue right across the recycling and resource recovery sector. For organics recyclers, coping with contamination can be dangerous and costly, as consultant Michael Wood discovered.

Organics consultant Michael Wood has backed a two per cent contamination threshold in kerbside organics collections to safeguard the recycling industry.

A consultant working in compost market development, Michael says other states could learn a lot from organics processors in New South Wales who have voted for the contamination threshold.

“Under the policy, if contamination of kerbside organics is not two per cent or under it is treated as mixed waste, not food organics garden organics (FOGO),” Michael says.

Two per cent doesn’t sound like much, but it could make or break circular outcomes. Michael should know. Working with a composting facility that processes kerbside FOGO collections across south-east Melbourne, he’s seen first-hand the damage contamination can cause.

He says that in 2023, contamination rates at the facility were so high, customers were turning their back on the company.

The culprit? Glass.

“We couldn’t cope with the amount of glass in the bins,” Michael says.

“It smashes in trucks when it’s collected, it smashes on the concrete floor when the load is dropped and in the process system. Because the glass was so fine, it was missed at the picking station, and it started turning up in our product.

“The amount of glass that came in was staggering. We started picking if off the floor to try and get it out of piles before it smashed, but there was just too much.”

The volume of glass in FOGO collections increased at peak occasions such as AFL grand final weekend, Melbourne Cup Day, Christmas and New Year. However, floss sticks, thumb drives, syringes, razor blades and plastics are also common contaminants. Many of them small enough to slip through compost screening processes and too dangerous for manual picking.

Michael believes one cause of the contamination is a change in waste collection services. He says an increase in contamination correlated with the change to weekly FOGO collections and fortnightly waste collections.

“Once the garbage bin is full, the weekly service (FOGO), becomes the primary garbage disposal service.”

John McKew, National Executive Officer of the Australian Organics Recycling Association has been raising awareness of the challenges and dangers of contamination for the industry.

“The old saying is that you can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear,” says John. “And you cannot make quality compost, mulch, or soil conditioners from badly contaminated feedstock.

“If we cannot sell the end product because of poor feedstock or contamination, we do not have an organics recycling industry.”

Michael holds a Graduate Diploma in Applied Science Horticulture and has worked in organic recycling and nursery production for more than 30 years.

He provides consulting services in the industry through his business Oakwood Consultants. For the past six months he has worked to rebuild the reputation of the industry and introduce new equipment and processes to the Melbourne operation.

He says the industry needs standards and education across the entire supply chain, as well as the ability to contract contamination levels. Achieving a two per cent or less contamination rate is possible. For areas that can’t meet that threshold, he questions whether they should offer a FOGO service at all.

“We’re too focused on diversion and not circularity,” he says.

“Would you rather divert 70 per cent of waste and make a product and be circular or try and get 90 per cent diversion, not make product because it’s too contaminated and have a giant disposal problem?”

For more information, visit:
www.aora.org.au

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