DWM Food and Garden Organics Collection Service

The DWM Food and Garden Organics Collection Service is a waste diversion project located at the Dulverton Regional Waste Management facility, approximately 5km south of Latrobe and 10km southeast of Devonport in northern Tasmania. Registered in August 2022, the project operates as a central processing hub for the Cradle Coast region. The facility sits within a landscape defined by a mix of intensive agriculture, forestry operations, and peri-urban development, serving as the primary waste management site for the Devonport City, Central Coast, Latrobe, and Kentish councils.

This project functions under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Source Separated Organic Waste) Methodology Determination 2016. The core activity involves diverting eligible organic waste, specifically Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO), away from general landfill streams. By separating this waste at the household or business level and processing it through controlled composting (including open windrow and enclosed in-vessel technologies), the project prevents the anaerobic decomposition that generates methane. These avoided emissions are then calculated to generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

The North West region of Tasmania is environmentally distinct, characterized by a temperate climate with high reliable rainfall, typically exceeding 900mm annually. The region is agriculturally famous for its deep, fertile Red Basalt soils (Ferrosols). These soil conditions support a robust vegetable cropping and dairy industry, which in turn creates a local market for the high-quality compost produced by the project's diversion activities.

A key feature of this operation is its connection to the "Dulverton Organics Transformation" (DOT) initiative. The proponent, Dulverton Regional Waste Management Authority, is a joint authority owned by four local councils. The project utilizes a recently upgraded $32 million facility capable of processing over 50,000 tonnes of organic waste annually. This infrastructure allows the project to scale its impact significantly, transitioning from older processing methods to state-of-the-art enclosed systems that improve odour control and compost quality.