- Published:
- Wednesday 3 February 2016
The Andrews Labor Government is exploring new ways of capturing energy from organic waste by supporting investment in alternative technologies.
Minister for Environment and Climate Change Lisa Neville today announced $300,000 for innovative projects that will help keep organic waste out of landfill and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The funding will support local government and businesses to install small-scale on-site or precinct-scale anaerobic digestion technology for organics recovery and as an alternative energy source.
Anaerobic digestion is a process that breaks down organic waste, such as food and compost, to produce heat and gas which can then be used to produce energy.
The funding aims to help overcome barriers to uptake of these technologies by supporting pilot projects that demonstrate the viability of organics recovery and processing, and which can easily be replicated.
There is a significant opportunity to increase the recovery and reprocessing of food waste in the commercial and industrial sector. In 2011-12, over 280,000 tonnes of food waste was generated by the commercial and industrial sector with only 10 per cent recycled.
It also presents opportunities for economic development with the potential to create jobs and drive investment in Victoria’s waste and resource recovery industry.
Applications close 21 March 2016. For more information on these grants, visit www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
Quotes attributable to Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Lisa Neville
“This funding will support businesses that produce organic waste onsite and have identified alternative technologies as a future opportunity.”
“These new technologies could reduce our reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil, resulting in a reduction in our emissions.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio
“The use of recovered organic materials as a renewable energy source is an emerging opportunity that the we are committed to exploring further.”
“These new technologies present an exciting opportunity to grow sustainable jobs in Victoria.”