Innovative waste management systems

Environmental Stewardship

By turning waste into resources, Green Island Resort is home to some of Australia’s most innovative waste management practices.

Turning waste into resources

The eco-sensitive Green Island Resort is home to some of Australia’s most innovative waste management practices.

Our ultimate aim is to close the loop with an efficient cycle that averts landfill, reduces emissions and provides real, tangible end-use products.

• A Food Digester recycling machine reduces waste volume by 90% as food waste is converted into a nutrient-rich organic fertiliser. The end-use of this remarkable organic fertiliser is for the resort’s nursery and local farmlands. The other byproduct is sterile water which is diverted to the treatment facility. The first of its kind on an Australian island resort, the food digester is a real win-win for the environment with not only waste averted from landfill, but reduced transport and methane emissions from decomposing organic matter.
• The Resort’s state-of-the-art tertiary sewage treatment plant (STP) is one of the most sophisticated of its type in Australia. It processes wastewater from ALL island facilities. The safe, high-quality effluent is used primarily for toilet flushing, irrigation and firefighting reserves, to further minimise the impact on the environment.
• Integrated into the STP is a mechanical sludge dewatering unit, nicknamed the “Cakemaker 5000”.  It operates as a sludge thickener and dewatering press, achieving up to 90% reduction in volume. As an example, 12,000L of wet sludge is converted to 1 cubic metre of solid cake per fortnight. 11,000L of water is returned to the STP and treated for non-potable use. The end-product “cake” is recycled into compost by a local biosolid recycler.
• The disposal of any solid waste or even composting on Green Island is prohibited and must be taken back to the mainland. Recycling ability and waste reduction is improved with a compacter and baler for a variety of waste products including cans, cardboard and plastic for delivery to recycling agents.