Kitchen Composting Machines Help Australian Restaurants Deal With Food Waste Problem

Some restaurants in Melbourne, Australia, are experimenting with a novel approach to the foodservice food waste problem that they believe will save $5 million in waste collection a year. With the financial support of the Victoria government and a nonprofit foundation, the restaurants will be installing organic matter composting machines in restaurant kitchens. The machines made by Closed Loop decompose and homogenize food scraps in an aerobic environment using controlled temperatures, agitation and airflow. Volume and weight of organic waste is reduced by up to 90 per cent within 24 hours. The compost will be collected and delivered to city gardens; vegetables from those gardens will be sold back to the restaurateurs.