The challenge that sits at the centre of Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) requirements and commercial waste processing is trying to get a ‘clean’ outcome when separating organics from packaging. Waste Initiative’s managing director Dwayne Smith, and solutions partner Brenton Sargeant, believe the company has a state-of-the-art solution to this issue with the Mavitec depackaging unit. This will be important in the coming 12 months as NSW rolls out its FOGO mandates that all councils and businesses will have to obey.
According to Sargeant, the unit has proven itself across a range of waste streams, particularly supermarket waste and mixed commercial food waste. The recovered organic output from these sources can then be sent to biofuel plants, biogas facilities, composting operations or be used for animal feed.
“Most food waste is currently mixed with general waste and ends up in landfill,” he said. “To reuse the organic fraction and divert it from landfill, it must first be separated from contaminants such as plastic, timber, aluminium and other packaging materials.”
The waste that enters the system reflects the reality of commercial food disposal. Sargeant described loads that can include canned products, bags of meat waste, fruit and vegetables, pizza boxes, beer cans, restaurant offcuts and super market waste. Much of it is wrapped in plastic by default. Everything arrives as a mixed bin and then fed into the machine, either straight from collection trucks or using a telehandler.
How the depackaging unit works
At the front of the unit sits a large steel feeding hopper that accepts the incoming waste. From there, a screw auger slowly feeds material into the main depackaging chamber. The design at this stage becomes critical. Instead of shredding everything into fragments, the Mavitec unit uses a horizontal shaft fitted with paddles positioned at precise angles along its length.
As the shaft spins at speed, the paddles apply repeated impact forces to the material. The food breaks apart naturally into smaller fragments while the packaging remains largely intact. This difference in physical behaviour is what allows separation to take place. The smashed organic matter falls through the screen beneath the shaft, while the larger plastic and metal packaging continues travelling along the paddles until it exits at the end of the chamber as a separate waste stream.
“A traditional shredder shreds it up and makes it smaller,” said Sargeant. “This unit, by using a flat paddle at different angles, keeps that plastic whole and then the organic is smashed and gets smaller and falls through at the screens.”
Smith explained that the paddles are set at specific angles along the shaft so that they not only break open the packaging but also actively move material through the machine. The organics are pushed outward through the screen while the packaging is transported along the shaft to the discharge point. This design ensures that separation is mechanical and continuous rather than relying on sensors or detection systems.
Once separated, the organic and packaging streams can be handled independently. In some cases, further metal recovery can take place from the packaging fraction using magnets or eddy current systems, particularly where aluminium cans are involved. While cardboard and plastic can still go to landfill in some settings, the separation step opens the door for energy recovery or recycling options where available.
Capacity, maintenance and cleaning
The Mavitec range includes both small and large units depending on throughput requirements. Sargeant said the smaller unit processes around five cubic metres an hour, which equates to roughly two to three tonnes per hour depending on material density. The larger unit operates at about 30 cubic metres per hour, which equates to between 12 and 15 tonnes per hour.
The return on investment is tied closely to landfill avoidance. Once the mandate comes in, food waste can no longer be disposed of cheaply, and service charges will rise. By separating organics and diverting them for reuse, operators reduce disposal volumes and avoid landfill fees. Sargeant said the unit’s build quality also plays a role in reducing lifetime operating costs. The way it is built was the result of feedback from the market.
“Mavitec has got about 300 units operating around the world,” said Sargeant. “About two years ago they asked all these operators what Mavitec could do to make the machines better. Mavitec then redesigned them so there is lower wear cost, a smaller chance of them breaking down, they are built heavier and are easier to maintain.”
Smith identified two key wear components on the system, the paddles themselves and the screen beneath the shaft.
“Mavitec have put a lot of effort into making it very simple and easy to the operators to swap out those screens and to change those paddles,” he said.
Access into the shaft is achieved through opening doors that expose the internal components. The screen system consists of four individual sections that slide in and out rather than being bolted into place. Each screen is held in position by a simple pin mechanism, which allows rapid changes depending on the waste stream being processed.
The paddles themselves can also be replaced in a matter of minutes using a small tool while slowly rotating the shaft. Smith noted that this level of access is an advantage of the unit as some other units often require multiple bolts to be removed or only provide limited internal access for cleaning.
Cleaning is built into the system through an internal spray mechanism. Water can be introduced directly into the main chamber while the machine is running, allowing most residue to be washed off without stopping production. This water input also helps adjust the viscosity of the organic material to suit biodigestion processes. For full washdowns, the access doors allow operators to spray out the entire chamber quickly.
Purity levels and real world testing
One performance indicator is the purity of its organic output. Sargeant said the machine consistently produces organic material at a purity level of 99.7 percent, with some independent testing showing even higher results. This is important where microplastics are concerned, especially if the material is destined for composting or animal feed.
Smith described one of the more striking trials conducted to demonstrate how effectively the machine separates contents from packaging.
“We did an interesting trial where we put unopened tins of pineapple through the machine,” he said. “They were solid tins and it spat the pineapple out through the screen and then the tins progressed along and out the final part of the machine.”
By the time the tins exited the packaging discharge, they were completely crushed and battered, yet every trace of pineapple had been forced out through the screen into the organic stream. Smith said repeated runs produced the same result, with no organic residue remaining inside the recovered tins. This allowed the aluminium to be sent directly to a recycler as a clean, single material product.
The ability to tolerate contaminants without damaging the unit is a core part of the design philosophy. Gas bottles, SodaStream canisters and other unexpected items sometimes enter waste streams. The reinforced shaft, redesigned paddles and heavier construction allow the system to process difficult materials without catastrophic damage.
Support infrastructure also forms part of the reliability equation. Smith said Waste Initiatives has invested in spare parts storage in both New South Wales and Melbourne, along with a network of technicians trained on the machines. This is important for operators running continuous 24-hour facilities.
The target markets for the system range from dedicated food waste processors and biodigestion plants through to food and beverage manufacturers processing waste on site. Large scale processors looking to comply with organics mandates form a major part of the uptake, particularly where large volumes of mixed commercial food waste are
handled daily.
Sargeant also pointed to facilities that generate highly consistent waste streams, such as snack food or beverage manufacturers. In those settings, the feedstock can be clean with only one plastic type involved, producing high-quality organic and packaging outputs with minimal post processing required.
Across all these applications, the technical foundation remains the same. The machine does not rely on detection systems, cameras or shredding. It uses physical behaviour, impact forces and screen sizing to produce a reliable separation outcome. That mechanical simplicity is what underpins both the purity results and the durability seen in the field.