Anne Parisianne
The state government has invested $1 million to enhance the processing capabilities for food and organic materials at Epping-based Repurpose It.
When residents in Melbourne’s north put their kitchen scraps and garden waste into the green waste bins, these materials are likely headed to the Epping site.
Repurpose It converts a diverse waste assortment into high-quality compost and landscaping products.
Repurpose It chief executive George Hatzimanolis said the government investment will increase the capacity of Repurpose It to process food organics and garden organics (FOGO).
“Specifically, [the investment] will increase our processing capacity to produce high-value compost, which will increase our food and garden processing capacity by up to 100,000 tonnes per annum,” he said.
The annual target in Victoria is to divert around 700,000 tonnes of organic waste per year.
“So, we’re getting close to 15 per cent of that target just by this investment.
“And that’s really important to support our state’s objectives of diverting organic waste from landfills.”
A former expert in the road and civil construction industry, Mr Hatzimanolis was disappointed by the industry’s carbon-intensive demands.
His strong drive to shift away from heavy dependence on scarce natural resources sparked his interest in innovations to repurpose waste.
“I feel that we’ve got a responsibility to our community, our future custodians of this planet, to think differently about how we operate and… utilise our resources.
“[I’ve] always been passionate about diversifying and reducing our reliance on virgin resources, which we know are very finite.
“That passion really led me to research what was being done in other parts of the world. And then ultimately, how we could bring that to Australia to in some ways catch up but also develop our own processes to the point where Repurpose It might be an example of a circular economy operator.”
The $1 million investment is a part of the government’s $515 million transformation of the state’s waste and recycling industry to reduce waste and create jobs in new industries.
Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos said about one third of a household rubbish bin is food waste – that’s why the government is helping innovative businesses like Repurpose It expand their operations, ensuring our organic waste is being turned into something new and useful.”
