The Bowser Organics Facility in Wangaratta – a rural community located about three hours driving northeast of Melbourne, Australia— now converts food and garden waste at its new composting facility using state-of-the-art covered compost bunker technology and systems from Canada and the U.S.A.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) approved facility—the first of its kind in the region—significantly improves the community’s renewable resources, collecting household and garden organic waste turning it into valuable compost rather than sending it to the landfill.
With a total capability of 18,000 tonnes per year the facility includes BuildWorks’ Airfloor® aeration and leachate collection system. Air supplies the oxygen necessary for aerobic metabolism and moisture removal. For composting to be conducted efficiently and with minimum odors, temperature and oxygen levels need to be maintained at optimum levels throughout the process. Since 2004 the proprietary and patented Airfloor® technology has been a key element in effective and odor free composting process.
The Managed Organics Recycling (MOR) Compost Cover Technology, developed in North America, utilizes made-in-Canada permeable micropore StedAir® membrane covers produced by Stedfast, QC – a world leader in the development of specialized coated and laminated protective barriers, since its founding in 1930—and boasts over 90% control of VOC emissions and odors while allowing moisture to pass through the covers.
Another Canadian company, Integra Mfg. Inc. supplied the Cover Placement Machine (CPM) or cover winder—for mechanical winding of the very large ePTFE compost covers.
The system is equipped with oxygen and temperature sensors to create ideal composting conditions within the compost pile, requiring little energy consumption or human involvement. The faster through-put means a smaller footprint for the composting area and resulted in lower capital expenditure and lower operational cost.
For further reference:
· YouTube video Organics plant at Bowser Landfill
· BuildWorks www.buildworks.com
· Airfloor® www.airfloorsystems.com
· StedAIR® MOR www.stedfast.com/en/compost-covers/
· Integra Mfg. Inc. www.integramfg.com/