There is a need for better consideration of our supply chains to ensure surplus food can be diverted from waste, and a growing awareness of this issue is driving innovation in systems to redistribute edible food to our citizens in need.
Beyond the material and human costs, food waste has a devastating impact on our environment. Organic material that is disposed of in landfill breaks down anaerobically (put simply, in the absence of oxygen). Not only does this process give off methane gas, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, it also causes pollution and degrades our environment with toxic leachate, and these valuable organic inputs are lost forever to our economy.
Compost Connect aims to divert organic waste from landfill and transform these materials into high-value organic fertiliser – compost. This process not only reduces the impact of waste in landfill but works to clean up our waste streams, and in this way can help ensure our inorganic materials such as recyclables are able to be recovered and re-used. Designing for the end-life of our waste is the key to sustaining a circular economy.