Manufacturing
2 min read
By Pedro Carreira
Updated 25 June 2026
Cheese makers generate: whey (high-BOD liquid — significant trade waste stream), packaging, cleaning chemical waste, brine waste, and general waste.
Whey has value as animal feed or whey protein processing. Trade waste agreements are critical as whey discharged untreated can cause major sewer issues.
Monthly waste: $300–800. Trade waste fees can be significant ($1,000–5,000/year) without whey management.
Key Numbers
- Monthly waste cost: $300–800
- Trade waste fees (unmanaged whey): $1,000–5,000/year
- Landfill levy (metro 2025–26): $169.79/tonne
- FOGO statewide: by 2030
- Independent-broker saving: up to 30%
What You Need to Know
For a cheese maker the cost centre is whey, not the wheelie bin. Whey is a high-BOD liquid, and discharging it untreated can cause major sewer issues and push trade-waste fees to $1,000–5,000/year. Treated as a product instead, it flips from liability to revenue.
- Whey: divert to animal feed or whey-protein processing — never straight to sewer.
- Brine waste: manage under your trade-waste agreement.
- Cleaning chemical waste: check against PIW thresholds.
- Packaging and general waste: right-size collection to actual output.
Keeping high-strength dairy organics out of landfill aligns with the FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) Policy, which is rolling out statewide by 2030. As an independent broker, Bundle Waste audits your invoice and trade-waste line for free, compares a network of providers and is paid only from the savings we find.
Related Resources
Related Questions
How should food manufacturers manage waste?+
Food manufacturers generate: production waste (5–15% of raw materials), packaging, wash-down water (trade waste), expired product. Mid-size manufacturer: $2,000–8,000/month. Key savings: production waste to animal feed/composting, cardboard baling.
How should wineries manage waste?+
Wineries generate: grape marc/pomace, lees, chemical waste, packaging, wastewater (high BOD). Marc can be composted or used as animal feed. Trade waste agreements required. Mid-size winery: $500–2,000/month.
What waste does a Melbourne microbrewery generate compared to a large brewery?+
Microbreweries (under 200,000L/year) generate proportionally more packaging waste per litre due to smaller batch sizes. Spent grain: 50–200kg/batch (give to local farmers — free). Glass breakage: 2–5% of packaged product. Chemical cleaning waste: smaller volumes but same compliance requirements as large breweries. Monthly waste: $200–600. Trade waste agreement needed regardless of size.
How should a Melbourne distillery manage waste?+
Distilleries generate: spent botanicals and grain (compostable — excellent for farming partnerships), glass breakage, chemical cleaning waste, packaging, and high-strength wastewater (trade waste). Spent botanicals can go to composting or animal feed. Distillery wastewater is very high in BOD — pre-treatment may be required before sewer discharge. Monthly waste: $300–1,000. Trade waste fees: $500–2,000/year.
What waste does a Melbourne commercial spice blending company generate?+
Spice blenders generate: packaging waste from raw material bags, product dust from blending (extracted by ventilation — general waste), off-spec product (compostable or donate to animal feed), and general waste. Packaging from raw material bags is the largest stream, followed by extracted product dust and off-spec product. Spice dust is a combustion hazard — proper extraction and disposal is an OHS requirement. Monthly waste: $100–400. Clean ingredient bags (paper/plastic) are recyclable if uncontaminated.
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Updated 25 June 2026
