REMONDIS awarded $5 million government funding for organics processing in QLD

Half of the $5 million dollars in funding granted for the facility comes from the Federal Government’s Food Waste for Healthy Soils Fund, with Queensland’s Department of Environment and Science contributing the other half.

The grant is one of the largest to be awarded under the Food Waste for Healthy Soils Fund to date.  

REMONDIS received local planning approvals for the facility in August 2023, with a view to having it operational by 2025.

“This initiative raises the bar when it comes to achieving higher order environmental outcomes from what is traditionally waste material within South East Queensland,” REMONDIS Australia Queensland General Manager Ishrar Ali said.

“It’s a win for REMONDIS in that the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments have recognised our expertise, but more significantly it’s a win for the environment and the community.   

“Diverting 48,000 tonnes of waste from landfill and bringing it back into the soil will be a significant achievement.  

“A priority will be reaching out to local councils and the commercial sector to be sure the initiative is fully embraced and utilised.”

Global expertise, local solutions

REMONDIS Australia National Organics Manager Jan Dübbelde said the company would draw on years of national and international experience to ensure the initiative was a success.

“Communities across Australia and the world are demanding environmentally friendly approaches to waste management, and REMONDIS has form when it comes to delivering,” Jan said.

“In fact, we’ve built more than 80 such organic recycling facilities globally.  

“We want the offering to be another pin-up example of enhancing the circular economy – finding ways to give waste other lives instead of burying it in landfill.

“Using the world’s best technology and operating in an enclosed building under negative pressure creates perfect composting conditions, meaning optimal process control and efficiency.”

Funding for organic waste innovation

In 2022, REMONDIS’ Lake Macquarie Organics Resource Recovery Facility in NSW secured $2 million dollars’ funding to future-proof its food and garden waste recycling operation.

Awarded under the Commonwealth’s Food Waste for Healthy Soils Fund and matched dollar-for-dollar by the New South Wales Environmental Trust, the money is to support expansion work that will lift processing capacity to 60,000 tonnes and assure operations for another twenty years.