A proposal to develop a regional Victorian composting facility has received $500,000 in funding from the state government.
Organic waste management company Pinegro are developing a $5 million project to use an enclosed tunnel system for the composting of food and organic green waste from local councils in the Morwell region.
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Currently, Pinegro composts using an open windrow method but this process can be affected by weather conditions.
By implementing the new system, the company will be able to compost within a contained, temperature-controlled environment to deliver a better product, faster.
Pinegro’s grant will go toward the construction of a waste receival building, composting tunnels and air and water filtration systems.
It is expected to divert 18,000 tonnes of organic waste from landfill each year.
The funding was part of the second round of the Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund, which is supporting 13 projects across regional Victoria.
These projects are expected to divert more than 85,000 tonnes of waste a year from landfills.
Victorian Minister for Environment Lily D’Ambrosio said food waste from homes accounts for around 250,000 tonnes a year in Victoria.
“These upgrades to the composting system will increase Pinegro’s capacity to process food waste and absorb more from local councils,” she said.
Applications for the third round of the Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund are now open. For more information, click here.