From food waste to fertiliser

In one of Melbourne’s quintessential laneway cafe districts, 60 local businesses are diverting tonnes of food waste from landfill using the GaiaRecycle concept from Eco Guardians. The system, which dehydrates inner-city food waste, is set up in the basement of Ross House, near the Degraves Street and Centre Place food and beverage precinct in the city centre.

Along with the benefits associated with diverting food waste from landfill, the system has also resulted in a reduction of waste bins in the laneways, improving access and hygiene and opening up the way for the beautification of an important tourism area. Just as importantly, hundreds of waste-truck journeys per year into and out of the city have been eliminated — with further beneficial impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

Since being commissioned more than two years ago, the system has dehydrated over 150 tonnes of putrescible food waste that would otherwise have rotted in landfill. The waste has instead been converted into 50 tonnes of nutritious fertiliser, with a net reduction of 98 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. Not stopping there, the nutrient-rich organic fertiliser produced by the system is being deployed by the City of Melbourne Parks & Gardens Department around the city on flower beds and tree plantings, reducing dependence on chemical fertiliser.