A leading Australian engineering and manufacturing SME launched a new recycling solution to deal with a major challenge of waste management at one of its projects.

Leussink has merged its manufacturing capability with the widespread need for community recycling. Leussink Global Worming, the new company set up for the manufacture of customised compost worm farms for any level of compost management to meet commercial, industrial or bulk domestic requirements, began as an idea when Leussink was putting the finishing touches to an eight storey building in the centre of Wollongong.

Leussink Director, Mr Jason Leussink explained they were constructing the building for the ATO; the building was designed to house 400 tax office people with a few dozen more occupying the ground level retail shops. The 6,600m² building was expected to churn out vast amounts of waste.

A key challenge for Leussink was to raise the building’s Green Star rating from 4-star to 5-star. After exploring all the traditional avenues for efficiency such as tighter control systems for air conditioners, better drapes for sunlight control and better performing light fittings, one of Leussink’s co-directors suggested doing something about the masses of organic waste that got trucked off a typical commercial site every week, and even every day.

Leussink Global Worming

Leussink Global Worming produces industrial strength worm farm enclosures sized and manufactured at its plant in Unanderra according to the volume of waste output of the client.

The farms house compost worms that devour paper, food scraps, cardboard or any other organic based material, proving ideal for an ATO office, which constantly generates paper waste. The Global Worming farm also serves the retail tenancies at the ground level, one of which is a coffee shop restaurant, which was previously placing used cardboard and food scraps into general waste.

Leussink’s modular system allows the user to increase the existing stock of composting worms by simply adding another metal housing to the existing system. The worm farm can also be reduced in size as needed.

Following the installation of Leussink’s worm farm enclosures, this commercial building’s organic waste is being turned into a useful by-product with the worm droppings used as fertiliser for the site’s gardens.

Leussink is proud as a manufacturing company to make a difference and in the process open the door for a completely new diversification in its business. According to Mr Leussink, 100% of the on-site organic waste now goes into the worm farm and is distributed back into the garden. The company is keen to take this composting model to the local council authorities.