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Reimagining transfer stations as gatekeepers in Australia's FOGO future
Jaga Kulandaivelu // 1 June 2025
FOGO expansion is underway, but recovery is limited by access gaps and contamination; Jaga Kulandaivelu has a fresh perspective on the subject
Transfer stations can be reimagined as early intervention points to reduce contamination before it reaches composting sites
Strategic contamination control isn’t just compliance, it’s a cost-saving and competitive opportunity for the industry
Each year the Waste Management & Resource Recovery Association of Australia (WMRR) provides a scholarship to young professionals in the resource recovery sector, inviting emerging leaders aged 35 or under to submit an abstract for a presentation they'd like to give at the upcoming Australian Landfill and Transfer Stations Conference.
Technical Manager Jaga Kulandaivelu rose to the challenge, keen to discuss the changing role of transfer stations in a FOGO-focused Australia. Jaga's perspective is a conversation-starter for the industry as we re-tool, gear up and re-think existing practices to achieve our national goal of a 50% reduction in organics to landfill by 2030. Here's what he has to say.
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Australia is undergoing a major shift in organics recovery. With food organics and garden organics (FOGO) collection services expanding rapidly across both kerbside and commercial sectors, pressure is mounting on existing infrastructure to manage increasing volumes and rising contamination levels.
In 2022–23, Australia generated 14.6Mt of organic waste, yet only 61.9% was recovered primarily because large portions of the population still lack access to FOGO services, resulting in organic waste being landfilled.
As of 2022–23, only 28.1% of Australians had access to food organics or full FOGO kerbside services, while a further 24.5% had access to garden organics only.
Driven by national targets and landfill diversion policies, local councils across Australia are transitioning to kerbside FOGO collections, with more planning rollouts through to 2030. In parallel, NSW will mandate commercial FOGO collections from 2025, with Victoria and Queensland following similar pathways. These changes are expected to introduce >1.2 million tonnes/yr of organics into the recovery network.
While over 270 composting facilities exist nationally, only a fraction can manage heavily contaminated loads.
Up to 25% of collected organics are rejected due to plastics, metals, and packaging residues. But contamination is not just a composting facility problem—it’s a system-wide blind spot, and transfer stations remain an untapped opportunity to intervene earlier.
By re-imagining transfer stations with integrated pre-sorting systems, we can reposition them as frontline quality assurance nodes—shifting contamination control from reactive clean-up to proactive infrastructure strategy.
Ultimately, contamination control is not just an obligation—it’s a commercial opportunity.
Contamination may be a dirty word, but ignoring it is proving to be one of the industry’s most expensive habits. Whether managed or ignored, the cost is borne by someone in the system. The question is who takes ownership and who turns that ownership into a competitive advantage.
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The Australian Landfill & Transfer Stations Conference is to be held in Sydney, 27-28 August 2025. More details here.
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