Keeping food waste out of landfill using the organic power of maggots is now a reality thanks to a new Modular Infrastructure for Biological Services (MIBS) system at Albury Waste Management Centre.
Mayor, Kylie King said Albury was leading the way in innovative waste management as the first council in Australia to host the system.
“Our community is already leading the way in looking after our precious environment, and this partnership is another major breakthrough in continuing to work towards halving the waste we send to landfill,” said Mayor King.
The MIBS system was made possible through a partnership between Canberra-based waste management company, Goterra, Veolia, AlburyCity and Woolworths, and aims to eliminate food waste going into landfill by 2025.
Mayor King said Goterra was the first company in the world to deploy and commercialise the modular solution that uses robots to collaborate with insects to redefine waste management.
The system uses black soldier fly larvae to consume food waste, slashing the amount that would otherwise need to be buried, processing up to five tonnes of food waste per day, and reducing greenhouse gas emission by 97%. Waste can be processed from all industries including restaurants, supermarkets, manufacturing and other retail and hospitality.
For Goterra founder and CEO, Olympia Yarger, the new site represents an opportunity to continue delivering on Goterra’s mission to change the way waste is managed
“The new MIBS in Albury is going to revolutionise the way Albury-Wodonga handles its food waste,” she said.
“Locating MIBS near the site of production for food waste ends the logistics challenge of food waste for regional towns and cities. MIBS are more versatile and mobile than traditional landfill or compost heaps – and even better for the planet.
“This partnership in Albury is leading the way in food waste management, and we expect many other regional centres to follow on this landmark journey towards a more sustainable future.
“This site is everything the team at Goterra is working for. A regional infrastructure solution that has created jobs, delivers a much-needed service and supports a circular economy – right here in beautiful regional NSW.”
Ms Yarger said the innovative method of recycling food not only reduces emissions and pressure on landfill, it also produces sustainable protein for animal feed, and a high-quality soil conditioner for agricultural uses. This means the system offers the additional advantage of helping Australian farmers, while creating a cleaner, more sustainable community, she said.
NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Executive Director, Engagement, Education and Programs, Liesbet Spanjaard said supporting imaginative ideas like Goterra’s was part of the NSW Government’s commitment to helping industry and local communities develop innovative and sustainable solutions to their waste challenges.
“The exciting example of Goterra’s new system in Albury has been supported by a NSW EPA Circulate Industrial Ecology grant of $89,400, and a rebate of $12,500 for depackager equipment enabling the conversion of local commercial food waste into high value, low impact protein and soil conditioner,” Ms Spanjaard said.
Developed in partnership with Woolworths, Veolia and Albury City Council, Goterra received the grant for the innovative, commercially oriented industrial ecology project that significantly reduces the amount of local commercial food waste sent to landfill.
This project is supported by a Circulate Industrial Ecology grant from the NSW Environment Protection Authority https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/working-together/grants/business-recycling/circulate-grant
