As we come to the end of a most interesting year, it is instructive to take a look back and important to look forward.

2021 has been an economically and socially challenging year for many Australians. Even more so than 2020, lockdown fatigue has worn down many of our friends and led to the destruction of many previously viable businesses.

Few industries have found themselves exempt from these painful realities, but many would agree that the Australian Organics Recycling Industry is amongst them. Our industry’s resilience is one reason for this, but so too are good luck and good timing.

Lockdown has seen an increase in home cooking and gardening, leading to an increase in organics collections at kerbside. At the same time, demand for product has increased for several reasons, including government spending on major projects to boost the economy. Our industry has reaped the benefits and many organics recycling facilities are operating at record levels.

For AORA as an industry association, the conditions have remained challenging. Our most obvious offerings – member events – have been curtailed through lockdowns and other restrictions. Despite this, in June we delivered the largest and most successful national conference our industry has ever seen. We have also rolled out a more comprehensive program of member webinars. We intend to build on both these strengths over the coming year, even as we return to delivering a strong program of face to face events.

Most importantly, we have worked hard to influence governments at all levels to change the rules of the game in favour of our industry. And the results are starting to show.

Major policy and budgetary announcements have come from the Federal Government and several states, and we are starting to see a strategic alignment between the long term goals of the three tiers of government and our industry in many places. It’s not consistent and not always as strong as we’d like, but the direction is right and the momentum is real. Most importantly, the organics recycling industry – through AORA – has been at the core of kickstarting this momentum, and we will work even harder to maximise the benefits and opportunities in 2022.

And we will do so not just by working with governments, but by innovation and collaboration at many levels. In 2022 AORA Members will see us deliver the widest ranging and important series of projects in our industry’s history;

The next 10 years will deliver the greatest change and growth our industry has experienced, with boundless opportunities on offer. It starts in 2022 and I look forward to sharing the exciting journey with AORA Members everywhere.

On behalf of all of us at AORA, I’d like to wish you, your families and work teams a joyous Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful 2022.

Please note there has been a change to the AORA Conference dates for 2022 as the original dates clashed with IFAT.

Monday 27 June 2022 - Wednesday 29 June 2022

Thank you to those members who attended the AGM last week.

Part of the proceedings including the results of the Directors election and we are happy to welcome Steven Marshall and Charlie Emery back to the Board.

We are also thrilled to have a new board Member, Morne Hattingh from Tamworth Regional Council who brings extensive experience within local government and project management.

Voting for the role of Chair and Vice Chair will take place at the AORA December Board Meeting.

We also released the AORA Annual Report 2020-21 during the AGM and it is available for download from our website.

Let us introduce you to CEA's Dominator De-Packaging unit, crated out of industry feedback to solve problems with de-packaging waste materials.

The Dominator Waste DE packaging Machine separates outer packaging from inside waste, enabling reuse and recycling of waste that would have otherwise been sent straight to landfill.

The increasing importance of finding alternatives to landfill is a conversation that is being had all around the world, with the Australian Government placing new initiatives within the renewables waste sector.

Waste food is a fast-growing issue for many companies, councils and manufacturers and much of the waste generated cannot be accepted straight in to the manufacturers process, as it requires some degree of separation or removal of outer waste packaging before it can be processed.

The waste DE packaging process is crucial in getting suitable food waste material into compost and waste plants, that is used in putting food back in to animal feeds, pushing a circular economy. Separated packaging can then be sent for recycling; further saving waste and potentially adding additional revenue lines.

The Dominator is a single shaft machine that is electrically operated, each unit uses paddles for product destruction, pushing materials through a customisable screening system, separating food from its packaging. This machine is capable of separating a vast arrangement of raw materials, including separation between plaster from paper and pharmaceutical packaging.

More workshops will be held in the first half of 2022 in regional Queensland and dates will be released in the new year.

Both NSW and VIC have recently undertaken nominations for their respective state committees. We are pleased to announce the following;

More than 100 people gathered at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground to attend AORA Vic’s end-of-year Showcase Event on 25^th November. The excitement in the room was at a high level as those present enjoyed the first opportunity to meet “in real life” since the end of lockdown and to talk to each other without masks.

Round One of Food Waste for Healthy Soils Fund closing soon

Rose Read, chief executive of NWRIC and Peter Olah, National Executive Officer of AORA, explore the challenges and risks of halving organic waste to landfill by 2030, in Waste Management Review.

The new Composting Handbook

Some of you might remember, or still have in their bookshelf, The On-Farm Composting Handbook, which was the go-to book about composting. After almost 20 years, editor and father of the 1992 book, Robert Rynk decided it was time for an up-date and began revising the handbook around 2010. However, this endeavour proved an impossible task while holding a full time job at New York State University. Once retired and made Professor Emeritus in January 2018, Robert was able to dedicate most of his time and energy to this truly mammoth task. Again, many years later, and with a lot of help from friends and colleagues, Robert’s mission has finally been accomplished with the book being published before Christmas!

If you have a story, link or news to share with AORA members, please email Alex