Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Science and Youth Affairs

The Honourable Meaghan Scanlon

The Federal and Queensland Labor governments have announced funding to double the composting capacity of Gold Coast recyclers Phoenix Power, diverting an additional 45,000 tonnes of organic waste from landfill each year while also creating close to 40 good jobs in the process.

It’s part of the $67 million Food Waste for Healthy Soils Fund, aimed at turning food and organic waste into new products for farmers, industry and communities. The Fund aims to increase Australia’s organic waste recycling rate from 49 per cent to 80 per cent by 2030.

If Australia meets this 80 per cent target, we will add $401 million to the Australian economy, support up to 2,700 additional jobs in the organics recycling industry, and avoid over 2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s the same as taking nearly half a million cars off the road or planting more than 23.1 million trees.

Further investments in Queensland under the fund will be announced shortly.

Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek:

“In Australia, around 13 million tonnes of CO2 is created as a result of organic waste going to landfill.

“Labor wants to see a circular economy in Australia – more local jobs to support recycling, and less waste going to landfill.

“The increased composting capability of this facility will help us reach our national target of halving the amount of organic waste sent to landfill by 2030. 

“We’re not only reducing landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions, but we are making Queensland soils more productive.” 

Quotes attributable to Queensland Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon:

“Queenslanders and Queensland businesses have made it clear: they want to become leaders in recycling and the circular economy.

“Right now, the average Queensland wheelie bin is 50 per cent full with organic waste. Food waste alone in our state accounts for 1.8 million tonnes.

“That’s trash that could be turned into treasure. It’s waste that is unnecessarily filling up landfills and producing harmful methane emissions.

“With this funding, Phoenix Power will be able to rise to the occasion and double the amount of organic waste they can compost to more than 90,000 tonnes a year.

“They’ll be able to install four composting vessels and infrastructure to remove contaminants including a picking station and optical sorter.

“It’s good news for good jobs too, with 31 jobs to be create during construction and a further six positions ongoing.

“It builds on the $1.1 billion Recycling and Jobs Fund the Queensland Government has launched as part of our war on waste."

ENDS

Media contacts:

Lilly Hannock (Minister Plibersek) – 0417 202 513

Francis Dela Cruz (Minister Scanlon) – 0420 592 078