It’s gardening season! Time to dust off and oil the hedge trimmers and secateurs. But before you battle the wheelie bin, trying to shove a palm frond down beside your household waste, consider the benefits your green waste could provide as compost.
Green Solutions Wide Bay has put this idea into practice on a commercial scale, creating an innovative and high-tech facility, taking all household and commercial green waste for free. It is transformed into beautiful compost that will help Greensill Farming improve soil conditions, reduce reef runoff and increase crop yield.
The inspiration for Green Solutions came from a study tour that owner Peter Greensill attended in the United States with a number of other local growers.
“They convert household green waste into compost at scale, with this product then used on agricultural land to improve soil health,” Peter said.
Not only does the composting process have a huge impact in reducing the company’s carbon footprint, but it also creates healthy soil biodiversity.
“By using green waste compost, we are able to reduce the amount of synthetic products we use, such as fertilisers and other soil amendments,” Peter said.
“Improved soil health, along with sophisticated irrigation operations, particularly the use of lateral irrigators, will also reduce run-off and contaminants from entering our local waterways. Improving our soil biodiversity in turn has the added benefit of improved crop yields and production.
“Protecting soil health while reducing environmental impacts is important to our entire farming operation and worth the investment in this innovative project,” Peter said.
The whole process from green waste to compost takes about three-and-a-half months. The raw green waste is grounded down, screened and then formed into windrows. These windrows are turned several times using a special machine until it has decomposed into a fine soil sediment. The compost is then left to cure before it is given a final screening and is ready for dispatch.
While the compost was initially for use on the company’s farms, so many people were asking to buy the compost and mulch that Green Solutions Wide Bay has now made the products available to purchase.
“Green Solutions Wide Bay has been in the pipeline for a few years and we are extremely proud to have completed this project, not only to benefit our farming operation, but the wider community of Bundaberg.”
Photo credit: Kyle Schneider
417 Windermere Road, Qunaba
www.greensolutionswidebay.com.au