$16 million waste-to-value R&D cooperative launched at Deakin University

A new circular economy research project based at Deakin University’s Waurn Ponds campus has been launched, in collaboration with Monash University, RMIT, and 20 industry partners.

According to statements from the Victorian government and Deakin, the Circular Economy-Accelerator-Organics (CEA-O) project would work on solutions including extracting value from food and agricultural waste and byproducts as nutritional supplements, oils and fertilisers. 

An estimated 10 jobs would be created through R&D and construction roles, and a further 130 in manufacturing, according to the release.

Part of the new cooperative is the Deakin BioFactory, which the university describes as an “advanced biomanufacturing capability… linked to expanded facilities at RMIT for food, water, and biosolids processing, and connected to product, process quality and analysis capabilities at Monash University.” 

The new BioFactory “will pilot and test new processes to use food waste, agricultural waste, and marine by-products to develop new products such as protein-rich feed, nutritional ingredients, fertilizer, cosmetic ingredients and biomaterials for medical and textile applications.”

“We are excited to be partnering with Monash and RMIT, as well as more than 20 industry partners, to provide an environment for the creation of sustainable products from food waste, organic farm waste and other biomaterials,” said Professor Iain Martin. Vice Chancellor at Deakin.

The new $16.4 million facility was supported by a $10 million grant through the state government’s Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund.

Picture: Pixabay

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