There is an opportunity to maximise the value of organics through composting and other forms of treatment. Businesses and the economy can grow though FOGO collection and processing, which generates composted products to sell to the agriculture and anaerobic digestion biogas production industries.
To process the large quantity of organics in the system, the existing infrastructure needs to be upgraded and new infrastructure developed. This includes:
• Open windrow composting: This form of treatment, where organic waste breaks down naturally in an open environment, is acceptable for green waste but not suitable for food organics.
• Fully enclosed, in-vessel composting: Organics are treated in a temperature-controlled, enclosed environment then mixed to create different composting products. This is more expensive than open windrow composting but does not have the same odour issues.
• Bioconversion: Food waste is converted into insect larval biomass and organic residues.
Increasing organics processing capacity will create jobs in additional collection services, organics processing facilities and compost delivery services. At an estimated 6.4 additional full-time jobs per 10,000 tonnes, there is the potential to create 4,294 new jobs for Australians.67