Resource recovery giant’s FOCUS to turn waste into high-value organics.
In an era where sustainability and resource recovery are paramount, innovative companies are constantly seeking ways to transform waste streams into valuable products.
Repurpose It, based in Victoria’s northern suburbs, has been at the forefront of this movement, exploring opportunities to maximise the value of discarded materials.
Its latest venture involves leveraging ‘Mulch Master’ technology to create premium organic products from recycled materials, marking another step towards a more circular economy.
Repurpose It has built a strong reputation for its innovative approach to resource recovery. Recognising that traditional disposal methods often lead to valuable resources being lost, the company has consistently sought ways to “repurpose” waste, finding new applications and creating valuable end products.
This philosophy extends across various waste streams, from contaminated soils processed through its wash plants, to the food organics garden organics (FOGO) collected from local councils.
Sage Hahn, Repurpose It’s Operations Manager – Organics, says the core purpose is to move beyond simple recycling and delve deeper into the value chain, ensuring resources are used in their most effective and environmentally sound manner.
While Repurpose It was already producing quality compost from FOGO, it recognised that certain “cleaner” organic residues, originating from source-separated skip bins and transfer stations, had the potential for higher-value applications.
“We’ve been able to segregate clean organic waste streams and identified some opportunities for a higher value product further along the value chain,” Sage says. To capitalise on this potential, Repurpose It invested in the EDGE FTS65 Mulch Master, a relatively new piece of equipment, from equipment supplier FOCUS enviro.
Sage says the Mulch Master represents a different approach to composting. Unlike traditional windrow turners that create long piles, the Mulch Master uses a hopper and stacker system to create higher, cone-shaped piles.
This design offers an advantage in terms of space, allowing Repurpose It to process higher-value materials in a dedicated area with a smaller footprint.
“It’s almost a windrow turner, inverted,” says Sage. “We found it’s a better way to utilise the space we have available for this project.”
The Mulch Master operates by loading processed wood fibre material via a front-end loader into its hopper. A stacker then elevates and deposits the material into a cone shape. This method offers enhanced control and segregation for the cleaner organic residues.
Importantly, says Sage, the Mulch Master is equipped with an agitator that helps to chop and mix the material, as well as a water system that allows for precise moisture control – a critical factor in the composting process.
“Just like open windrow composting, we still add water. We still turn. It’s got an agitator in there, so it’s breaking up the material while we’re turning it and watering,” she says.
FOCUS enviro’s Ryan McParland says the EDGE FTS65 Mulch Master is redefining the processing of organic materials such as compost, mulch, and soils.
A portable feed stacker, it was developed to tackle the specific challenges posed by light, bulky materials. Its 15 cubic metre hopper and dual forward/reverse high speed turner system ensures consistent material flow while flipping and aerating material to prevent compaction and bridging.
He reiterated one of the key drivers for Repurpose It’s investment in the FTS65 Mulch Master was its ability to drastically reduce space requirements – saving an estimated 60 per cent while providing significant fuel efficiency.
“The Mulch Master also stands out for its straightforward operation and impressive reliability,” Ryan says.
“Operators praise its versatility with the unit being equally adept at blending soils with the addition of a fine-tuned spray bar system, making moisture control during composting both accurate and simple.
“Additionally, the Mulch Master helps fast track composting by promoting even material distribution and reducing the risk of hot spots, and dry spots, ultimately enhancing safety across operations.”
Repurpose It’s primary goal for the Mulch Master is to manufacture compost and mulch products specifically targeted towards the horticulture and viticulture markets.
Sage says the company has been engaging with key distributors in the nursery and garden industry and other manufacturers, identifying a demand for high-quality organic material beyond standard FOGO compost.
“This new product line aims to fill a niche by offering a material that boasts a higher quality than typical kerbside-derived compost, while remaining cost-competitive with traditional potting mix components such as pine bark,” she says.
“There’s really not enough good quality material around in the market, so we are confident will be able to fill this gap.”
While other equipment such as shredders, grinders, picking lines, and trommels are still used in the broader organics processing, the Mulch Master is central to creating this new product.
Sage says that by maintaining the purity of the cleaner streams, Repurpose It can produce a compost media suitable for more sensitive applications, such as blending into growing media and higher end mulches.
Since its installation at the end of 2024, the Mulch Master is performing well. Sage says the ability to control the processing speed and moisture content allows for optimisation at different stages of composting, with the quality of output proving to be a success.
“We’ve been really happy with the Mulch Master,” she says. “In terms of our productivity, at the moment we’re looking at between 45 and 60-days processing. We’ve pushed a couple of thousand metres out to the market, which has been really well received. We’ve got a few offtakes developing now so we’re looking to move 20,000 to 30,000 cubic metres into the market over the next 18 to 24 months.”
The machine is easy to operate and maintain. Its mobility allows for flexible integration within the production area, while the ability to blend different clean residue streams in specific ratios helps to homogenise the final product, ensuring consistency – crucial for Repurpose It’s target markets.
Also crucial is that final products meet the stringent criteria required for horticultural applications. Repurpose It has an on-site laboratory to monitor key parameters such as acidity, alkalinity, electrical conductivity (EC),and the presence of any toxicity.
“The composition of incoming waste streams can vary, but consistent testing of each stage of our batches provides customers with confidence in product quality,” Sage says. “There’s a range of different components that we test on site to make sure that we’re providing premium products to our customers.”
Repurpose It’s investment in the Mulch Master and its focus on creating high-value organic products was spearheaded by Sage’s 14 years’ experience in the organics industry.
This acquisition was influenced by a positive working relationship with FOCUS enviro and a conversation with another organics processor who was already using the Mulch Master.
“I had spoken with industry partners in Perth and then went and saw a Mulch Master in action in a soil blending capacity in Gippsland and I was really impressed by the simplicity and versatility of the unit,” Sage says.
“FOCUS enviro was good enough to bring a unit down from Sydney to let us trial it. Once we had seen what it could do on the Repurpose It site with our products, it was pretty obvious that it was a good fit for what we were doing.”
FOCUS enviro has long supported Repurpose It’s innovative approach and has supplied various pieces of equipment, including the EDGE TRT622 tracked trommel, which is operating “day in day out”, in addition to picking stations and stackers.
Ryan says the EDGE TRT622, recognised as the largest track-mounted trommel available in Australia, has become a proven screening solution for waste and organic waste processors and has firmly established itself as a benchmark machine, not only in Australia but also across North America.
“It has production rates averaging 100 tonnes per hour and a design that reduces reprocessing, double handling and oversize contamination in the fines product,” he says.
“A standout feature is the remote-controlled radial fines conveyor, capable of creating stockpiles of more than 1000 cubic metres, which is nearly ten times more than traditional trommels.”
He says the EDGE TS80 tracked stacker has also become a vital tool, especially for facilities such as Repurpose It, that require versatility and efficiency on-site.
Its tracked mobility and adjustable feed height make it easy to reposition across the yard, streamlining a wide range of material handling tasks.
Designed to maximise storage capacity, the TS80 produces larger, better-structured stockpiles – an essential benefit where operational space is limited. Thanks to its automated functionality, the machine can be run by a single operator, reducing labour costs and exposure to workplace accidents.
“In a climate where skilled labour is increasingly hard to find and operational budgets are under pressure, the move toward conveyor-based systems has become a strategic choice for many,” Ryan says.
“Unlike wheel loaders, which are subject to downtime and variability based on operator skill and fatigue, the TS80 delivers a continuous and controlled material flow. This consistency improves overall productivity, helps prevent onsite traffic congestion, and supports more accurate resource planning – ultimately lowering the cost per tonne.”
When it comes to worker protection and effective material separation, the EDGE MPS48 mobile picking station sets a high standard. Designed for both large-scale and mobile waste processing sites, the MPS48 offers a robust, enclosed environment where up to 16 workers can comfortably sort recyclables.
The MPS48 integrates with primary or secondary crushers, screeners, or trommels, and accommodates skips or bins at various discharge heights. Operators can efficiently remove contaminants such as plastic, wood, and cardboard from incoming waste, while the over-band magnet extracts ferrous metals and protects downstream equipment.
Ryan says the MPS48 is especially valuable for sites seeking a durable, scalable, and worker-friendly solution for sorting and recovering commodities from construction and demolition waste.
Reflecting on FOCUS enviro’s strong working relationship with Repurpose It, Ryan says it exemplifies a crucial evolution in the recycling industry.
“This commitment to innovation and maximising the potential of waste streams positions Repurpose It as a leader in the circular economy, demonstrating that with the right technology and collaborative partnerships, waste can be transformed into valuable and sustainable products,” he says.
“The success of the EDGE FTS65 Mulch Master in creating premium organics is a testament to Repurpose It’s dedication to finding better, more sustainable ways to manage our resources.
“FOCUS enviro is pleased to be an industry partner with an organisation that is driven by a clear vision to eliminate waste and pollution through closed-loop resource recovery.”
For more information, visit:
www.focusenviro.com.au
