Food Organic
2 min read
By Pedro Carreira
Updated 25 June 2026
Composting facilities themselves generate: contamination removed from feedstock (plastics, metals — 5–15% of incoming volume), equipment waste, and office waste.
Facilities must hold EPA operating licences. Fire prevention per EPA Publication 1667.2 is critical.
Odour management is the primary community concern. Facilities accept food and green waste at $100–160/tonne, producing compost sold at $30–80/tonne.
Key Numbers
- Contamination in incoming feedstock: 5–15% of volume
- Feedstock gate fee accepted: $100–160/tonne
- Finished compost sale price: $30–80/tonne
- Fire prevention reference: EPA Publication 1667.2
- FOGO statewide target: by 2030
What You Need to Know
A composting facility is unusual: it earns gate fees on the way in and sells product on the way out, yet still generates its own residual waste. The 5–15% of contamination pulled from incoming feedstock — plastics and metals — is the line item operators most often overlook, because it has to be disposed of as general waste after it has already been paid for as feedstock.
- Contamination residue (plastics, metals) — disposal cost on already-purchased volume.
- Equipment waste from screens, belts and machinery.
- Office waste — the routine commercial stream.
Facilities must hold EPA operating licences and manage fire risk per EPA Publication 1667.2, while the inbound feedstock pipeline keeps growing under Victoria's FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) Policy. Bundle Waste is an independent broker, not a hauler: we run a free invoice audit, benchmark your residual-disposal contracts across a network of providers, and renegotiate — paid only from the savings we find.
Related Resources
Related Questions
What are the main waste management laws in Victoria?+
Key legislation: Environment Protection Act 2017, Environment Protection Regulations 2021, Climate Change Act 2017, Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021. The EP Act 2017 introduced a general environmental duty (GED) requiring all businesses to minimise risks of harm from pollution and waste.
What is the General Environmental Duty in Victoria?+
The GED under Section 25 of the EP Act 2017 requires businesses to take reasonably practicable steps to minimise risks of harm to human health and the environment from pollution and waste. This is proactive — you must manage risks before harm occurs. Penalties reach about $2.03 million for corporations.
Do I need an EPA licence for waste management in Victoria?+
You need an EPA licence if you operate a scheduled premises (landfill, transfer station, waste treatment facility) or transport prescribed industrial waste. General businesses generating standard commercial waste do not need a licence but must use licensed transporters and disposal facilities.
What is prescribed industrial waste in Victoria?+
Prescribed Industrial Waste (PIW) includes: chemicals, solvents, pesticides, heavy metals, asbestos, clinical waste, contaminated soil, and waste oils. PIW is classified under the EP Regulations 2021 and must be tracked through EPA's waste tracking system. Penalties for illegal PIW disposal reach about $2.03 million.
What are the penalties for illegal waste disposal in Victoria?+
Penalties under the EP Act 2017: indexed in penalty units (one unit = $203.51 in 2025-26) and rising each 1 July: aggravated littering can reach about $407,000 (2,000 penalty units) and serious pollution offences about $2.03 million for corporations (10,000 penalty units), while lower-level littering attracts smaller on-the-spot fines. Criminal penalties can include imprisonment.
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Updated 25 June 2026
