2 Ways Creating a Cleaner Planet from Household Rubbish in Just One Day

However, the clever people at Port Stephens, Australia, have been turning household organic matter into compost for many years.  

It all started in the 1990s when a co-composting waste management facility was begun.   

Since that time, the plant has not only processed thousands of tons of waste each year and returned it to the community, but it has become a much sought-after tourist destination.  

In fact, the really unique thing about the co-composting waste management facility is that it can take garbage waste and turn it into the organic soil with 24 hours of it being picked.  

Turning Household Waste into Compost

  Special bins are provided by local government to every home in the area. Then these are emptied by trucks which can dump up to 220 tons of waste a day.  

The waste is dumped on a floor and then scooped up by a front end loader, and loaded into a metal funnel. The waste is then sorted using a bouncing conveyor belt with any unwanted waste items going to landfill.   

Then the real fun begins.  

Waste is Sorted with a Frontend Loader   

Waste Broken Down in a Kiln

  The remaining waste is ferried into two large metal cylinders called digesters. These 60-metre long tubes are at a slight incline and rotate slowly. Inside, the temperature can get up to 60 degrees Celsius.  

They rotate and ‘cook’ the waste, not unlike a giant kiln. The mass of material tumbles on itself and begins the initial breaking down process. After that bacteria takes over and the process is broken down further.  

Also, the whole process drives off volatile materials, and it also releases a lot of moisture.   

From this to rich compost in one day   

A large portion of the waste is taken to mine sites across the Hunter Valley, which have legal responsibilities to rehabilitate the land they use. The waste can’t fill the huge holes left by the mines, but it does provide valuable top soil.  

Other areas to receive this great compost are landscaping areas which are in need of a good organic boost.   For more information see Inside Australia’s FirstCo-Composting Waste Facility

About the Author

Susan Day is an author of 15 books, educator, and a content marketer. She is passionate about saving the planet and lives ‘off-grid’ in country Australia with four dogs, three boss cats, three rescue guinea pigs, and an errant kangaroo.  

Her blog, Astro’s Adventures Book Club, is full of ideas and tips for grandparents who want to build a strong relationship with their grandchildren.