We all know the mild anxiety of being woken up by the council garbage truck rolling down our street and the dawning realisation that we forgot to put the bin out.
For most, much past the bleary-eyed dash to put the bin on the kerb, we don’t give much thought to where the rubbish goes once it’s lifted into the back of the garbage truck.
But for local councils that are metropolitan, interface or regional; waste, particularly the management of household waste, is one of the largest challenges they face.
In Australia, approximately 7.6 million tonnes of food waste is generated each year, with 2.6 million tonnes coming directly from households.
That’s a lot of waste.
To avoid this waste going directly into landfill, councils now provide a FOGO bin, which stands for Food Organics and Garden Organics, and as the name suggests FOGO bins are used to collect both food scraps and garden waste. This waste is usually recycled into compost.
But what if there was another option? Where our food waste could create local jobs, support local manufacturing, and create an energy source which contributes towards lower carbon-emissions across the economy.
Enter Biomethane.
Biomethane is a renewable gas created by processing biogas which is generated from decomposing organic matter like food, agricultural waste, or even human waste.
When this organic matter decomposes it creates biogas, and through a process called anaerobic digestion, it can be upgraded to biomethane – a renewable gas used widely overseas but notably scarce in the Australian energy mix.
Biomethane is completely compatible with all existing gas network infrastructure, gas appliances used in homes and businesses today, and in industrial manufacturing processes.
The emergence of renewable gases like biomethane is a win-win for landfill operators and manufacturers, providing greater opportunities for both to efficiently reduce their emissions. This is particularly important for many manufacturers and large energy users whose operations rely on the high-heat only gas can produce. These manufacturers produce everyday products like steel, bricks, fertiliser, glass and food products, and through their production processes employ thousands of people across the country.
While biomethane may not currently be a staple of the Australian energy mix, this renewable energy source is not a pipe dream. It is already flowing through the New South Wales gas distribution network, with wastewater at Sydney Water’s Wastewater Resource Recovery Plant being converted into biomethane and injected into the gas distribution network. This project is the first project in Australia to receive GreenPower certification, accrediting the biomethane as a low emission renewable energy source.
This is just the beginning. Jemena is working closely with industry to develop Australia’s biomethane sector, with businesses right across NSW producing the building blocks (the raw ingredients) needed to produce biomethane as a by-product of their operations.
These businesses are often located in regional and rural council areas meaning Australia’s biomethane sector could spur local economies and drive regional jobs growth. In fact, Australia’s Bioenergy Roadmap, produced by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), found Australia’s biomethane sector could contribute to around $10 billion in extra GDP per annum, reduce emissions by about nine per cent, and create over 26,000 new jobs.
The potential here is huge. So, if we want to avoid missing out on Australia’s biomethane opportunity (the FOMO, if you like) then perhaps it’s time we rethink just how we’re using our FOGO waste.
