An army of maggots have eaten their way through almost 90 tonnes of discarded food scraps in a City of Sydney Council project exploring sustainable waste solutions.
Since January, the NSW-first council trial has turned food waste from inner Sydney into around 19,000kg of fertiliser and 6,000kg of protein-rich animal feed.
“Sydney’s landfill space is running out fast, making these projects vital,” said Lord Mayor, Clover Moore AO.
“Not only does this trial mean we can avoid sending food scraps to landfill, we’ve created a circular economy solution by generating valuable products such as fertiliser and animal protein that can be used to produce more food.
“Working with food waste innovators Goterra, we’ve established a processing facility in Alexandria. Waste is processed closer to where it’s collected, which cuts down on fuel costs and emissions. It’s an approach that is net positive, removing more carbon emissions from the environment than it generates.”
The Council announced in June last year it had partnered with circular solution company Goterra to trial the use of black solider fly larvae to consume food scraps from residents in our area. Goterra is an Australian deep tech startup that was established by female founder, insect farming pioneer, Olympia Yarger in 2014.
“This is the 7th site to officially open in our network. As another first in the world asset, this trial is focused on solving residential food organic waste in cities,” Mr Yarger said.
“This is a bold step forward in waste-to-value management, transforming everyday food waste from across the city into valuable inputs for agriculture.
“In partnership with the City of Sydney and Bingo, we’re at the forefront of circular innovation and are preparing for the FOGO Recycling Bill, which mandates diversion of residential food waste from landfill from July 2030. The future of zero food waste to landfill is coming and we’re proud to be leading the way.”
Inside a shipping container-sized unit, fly larvae feast on food scraps, consuming twice their body weight daily. Their waste is turned into fertiliser, while the larvae become a nutrient-rich protein source for fish, poultry and even pet food. Unlike other insects, the black soldier fly isn’t a vector for disease and its larvae breaks down bacteria in the organic material it consumes.
This system diverts food scraps from landfill, preventing the harmful methane emissions released during decay.
More than 22,500 households are involved in the Council’s food scraps recycling service, which is expected to generate up to 600 tonnes of food scraps in 12 months, it says.
The Council is accepting expressions of interest from apartment buildings that wish to join the food scraps service.
“We continue to work to extend the service to all residents in line with the state government’s mandate for councils to provide food and garden waste collections to every NSW household by 2030,” the Council said in a statement.
