The state-of-the-art facility at the Redruth Resource Recovery Park was developed by Enviro NZ and aims to transform how the district and the wider South Canterbury region handle green waste.
An official opening ceremony was held last Friday.
The ceremony began with Enviro NZ’s head of South Island operations Rob Bright presenting a slideshow on the background of the project and how it will operate.
A tour of the new facility was given and Enviro NZ chief executive Chris Aughton, Timaru District councillor Owen Jackson and Geraldine Ward councillor Gavin Oliver cut the ribbon to officially open the new plant.
The facility had been in the works for several years, with construction starting in November 2023.
Mr Aughton said the new facility had the the dual benefit of enabling the recovery and reuse of valuable materials at the same time as reducing emissions from the landfill.
"The opening of the new organics processing facility marks a significant sustainability milestone for the region, and Enviro NZ is proud to be a part of this initiative and working alongside the Timaru District Council.
"By producing compost from food and garden organic material, the state-of-the-art facility is transforming valuable natural resources that would otherwise be lost if disposed of in the more traditional way.
"It really is a sustainability friendly solution, which is a win-win for the community and also the environment."
Mr Bright said although the building had been officially opened there were still a couple of things to complete.
"It’s not quite 100% finished, but the building’s up. The actual processing facility’s been running since July.
"There’s a little bit of asphalting and tidying up to do and then as soon as we can assemble that it will be completely operational.
"So while it’s not quite finished it’s close. We thought we’d take the opportunity while we had everyone here because a lot of people have made a real contribution to the project."
Enviro NZ regional manager Reon Park said it had been a long journey.
"I’d just been looking at it on plans for the last two years so it’s really nice to actually see it here today and know all that effort was worth it."
It is estimated the facility will process about 16,000 tonnes of green waste over the next year which will produce about 6000 tonnes of compost.
The process involves a 21-day period in Engineered Composting System bunkers, followed by a 12-week maturation phase.
The compost can be purchased in trailer load or bags, with the balance to be sold on for use on local farms for soil remediation.
"This new organics processing facility is a fantastic development for our region," Timaru District Council group manager infrastructure Andrew Dixon said.
"It not only supports our sustainability goals but also provides a valuable resource for our local farmers and gardeners.
"The collaboration between the Timaru District Council and Enviro NZ demonstrates our commitment to innovative solutions that benefit both the community and the environment.
"Every bit of organic waste we can divert from landfill is a major saving to our residents as it both lengthens the life of our landfill and avoids us having to pay waste levies."
