Enhancing organics markets
On this page you can view impact summaries from projects we have supported to enhance markets for organics products.
The impact summaries provide further information on project background, methodology, results and future opportunities.
Gaia Envirotech increase the value of recycled organics
Gaia Envirotech explored options to increase the value of recycled organics, supported by a $300,000 grant from our Circular Economy Research and Development Fund.
The project successfully increased the value of recycled organics by adding food waste to their animal manure anerobic digestor units. This led to higher biogas yields and improved compost quality.
Outcomes from this project provide further opportunities, including:
- more revenue for intensive livestock businesses
- higher value compost
- manipulating nitrogen levels in compost.
The modular design of Gaia Envirotech composters makes them suitable for small-scale facilities. Brimbank City Council revitalise roundabouts
Brimbank City Council completed a novel circular economy project transforming household food and garden organics (FOGO) into a valuable resource for revitalising local roundabouts. By collecting kerbside FOGO from residents and partnering with Veolia who processed it into compost and then applying it to 85 roundabouts. The project was supported by an $88,000 grant from our Circular Economy Organics Councils Fund.
Key activities included:
- applying over 150 tonnes of compost
- revitalising of 85 council-managed roundabouts
- establishing strong cross-departmental collaboration between four Council departments
- developing a ‘Circular FOGO’ video published on the council website and social media.
Cirque De Soil develop innovative organic soil solutions
Cirque De Soil did the groundwork to validate the output of food waste dehydrators as a viable fertiliser for the city nursery market, supported by a $165,776 grant from our Circular Economy Research and Development Fund.
The project focused on determining if blended rapidly dehydrated food waste could be used as a fertiliser, and identifying a suitable market for this product.
It found that:
- rapidly dehydrated food waste can be used as a fertiliser
- customers will buy this product at a premium
- nurseries will stock the product.
Cirque De Soil's GrowGood fertiliser. City of Greater Geelong work together to grow compost use
The City of Greater Geelong own and operate a commercial scale composting facility where they compost kerbside garden organics collected in their municipality. The composting facility team wanted their product to be utilised in the Geelong municipality, where it came from, to complete the organics circular economy. The project was supported by a $43,520 grant from our Circular Economy Organics Councils Fund.
Key outcomes included:
- improved council technical knowledge on compost and soil
- increased council commitment to use recycled organics
- increased community uptake and engagement.
Nihill Farms' unique long-term trial generates valuable data
Nihill Farms, a broadacre grain business, and Elmore Compost and Organics established the longest running recycled organics trial in Victoria, supported by a $10,260 grant from our Circular Economy Markets Fund: Organics.
This trail is starting to generate valuable data that can help famers make decisions about using recycled organics on their farms.
Some key findings after six years are:
- The data highlights the value of long-term data.
- Recycled organics have created better soil.
- Recycled organics can make farming systems more resilient.
Aerial photo of the trial site, showing recently applied compost. Terra Nova Ag deliver groundwork for subsoil amelioration market
Terra Nova Ag was a subsoil amelioration contractor who, supported by a $300,000 grant from our Circular Economy Research and Development Fund, delivered research specific to the emerging subsoil amelioration market.
Some key outcomes of the research were:
- an understanding of the barriers to farmer adoption of subsoil amelioration
- identifying seasonal supply patterns of recycled organics in regional areas align with the optimal time of year for subsoil amelioration
- identifying essential design features for subsoil amelioration equipment
- a decision support tool to help farmers make decisions about subsoil amelioration.
The design of the modified subsoil amelioration machine. Get in touch
Contact our Markets Acceleration team for more information.
