Last week, Brimbank residents were given the opportunity to attend a tour to find out how the food and garden waste collected from their homes is turned into nutrient rich compost and mulch at Veolia’s Bulla facility.
At this facility, organic material is screened for contaminants and then placed in a large vessel for 10 days.
Compost and mulch products remain on-site to mature for a few weeks and are then used on farms and gardens.
Veolia North West manager of organic operations Craig Johnstone said the tour was a great chance of residents to learn more about the importance of their waste management.
“It was great to welcome Brimbank residents to our Bulla facility to give them an insight into how we transform what they put in their green bin into a rich compost used by farmers to grow food. This is the perfect example of the circular economy in action” he said.
“Every resident that uses their green bin properly by keeping out things like packaging, plastic bags and takeaway coffee cups ― even if they are labelled as biodegradable and compostable ― improves the quality of compost we produce. These residents are all contributing to a more sustainable future. Together, we have diverted over one million tonnes of garden clippings from landfill since 2013.”
“Some of the members of the tour noticed white filaments, called mycelium, growing on some of the compost. This is actually a fantastic sign of biological activity. It shows the microbes have been really busy breaking down the material.
“The process for making compost is entirely natural and chemical free. I describe it as giving Mother Nature a boost.”
Approximately 63 per cent of Brimbank households have opted in to receive the food and garden organics bin service.
Details: brimbank.vic.gov.au/living-here/my-home/rubbish-and-recycling/bins/food-and-garden-organics-bin
Gerald Lynch
