The organic recycling site is on around 4 hectares with mounds and mounds of rotting putrid piles of green waste. There are two distinct types of piles. The most offending pile is the fresher green waste dumped in mountainous piles and left to rot for 6 to 8 weeks. These piles must be turned (aerated) every few days. This produces the most offending smells as the locked gases underneath are released into the air.

Once these large piles are reduced or broken down by the natural process of composting they are moved into wind rows similar to the picture on the Organic Recyclers web site home page. These long rows are less smelly but still smelly. These piles can be turned in one day utilising the latest machinery recently purchased, where as in years gone by they would take a week to do the whole yard. As you can imagine every day turning over a pile would release gases on a daily basis where as now they try and wait for the right wind direction and do the lot in one day. This releases the gases all at once in one day which makes that a bad day for all the neighbours. But which is worse?

As stated it appears the wind row piles are at a more advanced state of composting, therefore dryer, smaller amounts and less smelly. It is the large mountains of fresh green waste early in the process, wet and rotting that is the main culprit.

The wind rows are laid out in a North South direction.

Part of the problem has been the huge increase of green waste a result of the Ecorecycle Victoria towards zero waste strategy. Things will only get worse in coming years because councils will be required to increase recyclables from the current standard of 45% to 65% by 2013. The problem they have had with the increase in volume is how to sell and get rid of the end product. The end product is natural fertilizer and mulch. Organic recyclers would normally sell this to the public and organic farmers but there is only a limited market in this area. They have had to search for new markets and uses for their end product which they are currently doing.

They have resorted to giving it away free to quarries for repatriation projects and are currently looking for and at warehousing it until it can be sold or utilized. The lack of movement at the end of the process holds up the middle and beginning of the process. If they have too much final product in the yard (and not much room) they must keep all the other stages on hold longer while they try and get rid of the end product. So instead of the fresh pile composting for 6 to 8 weeks it composts for 8 to 10 weeks and instead of the wind rows composting 4 to 6 weeks they are composting for 6 to 8 weeks. This means more smell longer.

What they have done to try and quell the growing complaints and attention by the EPA is as of 28/3/06 they are diverting 10,000 tonnes to a Northern facility. This will represent a 15% reduction in their overall turnover. Not enough but at least a start.
But because of the length of the composting cycle any improvement may not be felt for another 8 to 12 weeks or longer.

SunRRA raised the issue of the smell being worse in the evenings. They were a bit incredulous about this as the site is closed and there are no works (aerating) going on. We discussed air inversion or compression which Kevin said can happen. That's when there's no wind and the smelly air is heavier than the clean air so it settles over an area.

It was decided to keep lines of communication open. Report back and forth. Organic Recyclers will continue to report all efforts to reduce the offending smell and sunRRA will pass on complaints and times. Organic Recyclers were going to go back and talk to the EPA as they were under the belief most of the complaints were south of their site and have been told nothing of any Sunshine complaints!

I must say they are very aware we (the residents) could have them shut down and they don't want that to happen. They are planning to move operations to Dandenong by late 2007. SunRRA beleives that is too long a time to have to put up with the smell and more immediate measures are called for.

An invitation was offered to be included in their monthly meetings with EPA to both Cr Dymott and SunRRA. We each said we would consider it.

It was mentioned governments bring in legislation forcing communities to recycle without thought on how this is to be managed and processed at the service provider end.

I would like to thank Cr Miles Dymott for inviting sunRRA to the meeting and extend SunRRA's appreciation for his interest in this issue.

Depending on how our members and committee feel about this issue many avenues are open to SunRRA to pursue this further.

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