Organic matter contributes significantly to the waste stream by weight, making up around half of what Queenslanders throw away each week. Although often seen as a natural waste stream, there are potential adverse environmental, social and economic impacts associated with poor management and disposal of organic wastes. However, organic materials are a valuable resource that can be used for a variety of purposes with benefits for the agriculture sector in particular through their valorisation into the production of animal feed, composts and soil improvers, as well as for the creation of bioproducts, bioenergy and biofuels.
Queensland's agricultural sector has an established history of managing its organic waste streams effectively by driving supply chain innovation to find markets for these 'waste' resources and, by doing so, creating significant value-add opportunities. The sector is always improving efficiencies from the production of agriculture commodities using minimum external resources to closing nutrient loops, and reducing wastes and contaminants released to the environment.
Farmers use excess or undesirable produce to create new products that fulfil customer demand, which has seen 'ugly or non-specification vegetables' processed into prepared packets of salad mixes, noodles, rice, florets and chips, while banana seconds have been transformed into gluten-free green banana flour. On-farm composting is also popular, converting agricultural organic wastes and by-products to produce quality soil conditioners and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while there are new 'biofuture' opportunities on the horizon.
Improving organics recovery rates in Queensland presents significant opportunities. To capitalise on these opportunities, the Queensland government has developed the draft Queensland Organics Strategy 2022-2032 which proposes how to reduce the amount of organic waste that goes to landfill and looks at ways to avoid, reuse and recycle it with agriculture potentially benefiting from an increased supply of composts if quality standards can be assured. Farmers and agribusinesses are encouraged to have their say on organic waste and the targets and actions that are set out in the draft strategy. With the right policy settings, the agriculture and agri-processing sectors can be better supported to grow, diversify and make additional use of organic wastes.
