Hobart City Council diversion of kerbside organics from landfill

The Hobart City Council diversion of kerbside organics from landfill project is a waste diversion initiative located at the McRobies Gully Waste Management Centre in South Hobart, approximately 4 kilometers southwest of the Hobart CBD. Registered in May 2016, the project operates within the urban and peri-urban fringe of Tasmania's capital, an area characterized by a mix of residential zones and dense bushland foothills leading up to Mount Wellington (kunanyi). The site itself serves as the primary waste management facility for the council, with the project specifically focusing on reducing the volume of organic material entering the landfill.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Source Separated Organic Waste) Methodology Determination 2016. This methodology awards carbon credits for separating organic waste, specifically garden waste and food organics (FOGO), at the point of generation (homes and businesses) rather than allowing it to decompose anaerobically in a landfill. By diverting this waste to a composting facility where it is treated via open windrow composting, the project prevents the generation of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The City of Hobart introduced its green waste service in 2016 and expanded to full FOGO services in 2019 to support these efforts.

Environmentally, the region experiences a cool temperate oceanic climate with moderate but variable rainfall, averaging around 600mm annually, and soils that are a mix of clay and dolerite-derived types common to the Mount Wellington foothills. While the project is industrial in nature, the surrounding land use includes significant conservation areas and bushland reserves. The diversion of organics is a critical component of the council's broader "Zero Waste to Landfill" strategy, which aims to close the McRobies Gully landfill by 2030.

Expert consultancy firm Mike Ritchie and Associates (MRA Consulting Group) is a participant in the project, providing specialist advice on carbon abatement and waste strategy. The project is part of a wider Tasmanian push toward circular economy practices, with the resulting compost products often used in local agriculture and horticulture, effectively returning nutrients to the soil rather than burying them.