Dr. Paul Harrey, the inventor of OSCA, explained: “OSCA breaks down the organic waste quickly and naturally, using an aerobic process which involves the use of an auger to aerate, agitate and move the waste through the machine. Through the action of the beneficial bacteria in the machine, the waste is effectively pasteurised as temperatures reach in excess of 60 degrees Celsius. It’s silent, odourless and, remarkably, the whole system runs on the same energy as it takes to run a light bulb”.
OSCA is available in two different sizes, with capacity to process up to 1 tonne a week in the smaller system and up to 2 tonnes in the large. The OSCA units are easy to establish on-site, which is one of the reasons that WDU Sustainability has been invited to operate OSCA at the World Environment Day event.
“Food waste is a resource. Over the course of a week, OSCA will convert 1 tonne of food and compostable packaging waste into around 1⁄4 of a tonne of high quality, Australian standard compost. So instead of transporting this food waste to landfill it is used for land improvement, saving on waste disposal, water, mulch and fertiliser costs.”Dr Mitchell said.
Being the first automated on-site composting apparatus of its kind designed and made in Australia, it’s a smart investment for organisations looking for a sustainable method of recycling organic waste at the source, with the payback period for some organisations being less than a year.
About: WDU Sustainability
WDU Sustainability, aka Worms Down Under are based at Palmwoods and have been running their company (previously at Montville) for the last 7 years. WDU manufacture a range of worm farms (domestic and commercial) and have now begun to create new products such as retro-fit kits and ‘Osca’ for larger scale composting of food waste. They operate Australia wide.
It’s a dynamic family run business,with founding members passionate about what they do and about sustainable living. To find out more visit their website http://www.wormsdownunder.com.au
