Construction is set to begin on the new City of Gosnells food waste recycling facility, with residents invited to sign up to the innovative GOsFO trial program now.
The company behind the process, Goterra, is currently assembling components for the facility off site.
Mayor Terresa Lynes and Councillors joined Environment Minister Reece Whitby and Goterra CEO Olympia Yarger to inspect the new concrete pad on the facility site at the City’s Operations Centre in Maddington.
“Once it is up and running in the coming months, food waste from residents who sign up to GOsFO will be turned into high-quality fertiliser and animal feed,” Mayor Lynes said.
“The City of Gosnells is the first organisation in Western Australia to use this food waste recycling system through Goterra.”
GOsFO will use insect larvae to process food waste into high-quality fertiliser, before the larvae are harvested and turned into high-protein animal feed.
“These products are in demand by the agricultural sector and it’s great to know that our kitchen and table scraps will be helping to grow more food for our plates,” Mayor Lynes said.
“The City of Gosnells is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and GOsFO will help us do that, in partnership with local residents who are interested in sustainability and reducing waste.”
Minister Whitby said the project demonstrated Western Australia’s nation-leading approach to recycling.
“It will complement our existing Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) recycling system, which has proven enormously popular with hundreds of thousands of households throughout WA,” he said.
Goterra Founder and CEO Olympia Yarger was excited to bring their food waste recycling system to Western Australia.
“This project represents the best of what can be achieved when an innovative and passionate Council like the City of Gosnells works to deliver better waste recovery and sustainability for their community,” Ms Yarger said.
“The forward thinking of the City of Gosnells is an example of true leadership in tackling waste challenges, and we're excited to join forces in support of their vision to transform the community's waste into valuable resources that benefit both our environment and agriculture.”
GOsFO will be trialled in the City of Gosnells for three years on an opt-in basis, with up to 2,000 participants paying $80 for the service in its first full financial year of operation. A pro-rata charge will be applied in 2024/25, as the program is not scheduled to start until later in the financial year.
Participants will be provided with a 140-litre burgundy bin and a 5-litre benchtop caddy with compostable liners. The burgundy bin will be collected weekly.
Residents can sign up for GOsFO now, by clicking here.
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