Stopping the waste

The Centre for Organic Waste Management (COWM) was funded by the State Government Centres of Excellence Scheme and launched in late 2000.

The objectives of the Centre are to develop environmentally sustainable solutions for managing organic waste, promote integrated strategies and lead educational initiatives in waste management.

In addition to academic staff from School of Environmental Science, staff from Schools of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Engineering and Economics also contribute to the Centre’s research programs.

Along with Murdoch University, partners of the Centre include the Department of Industry and Technology, Department of Environment Protection Water and Rivers Commission, WA Local Government Association, Municipal Waste Advisory Council and the Department of Agriculture Western Australia.

The Centre works closely with the United Nations Environment Program International Environmental Technology Centre which is also located at Murdoch University.

The Centre offers consultancy and research services for waste auditing, development of waste recovery strategies, evaluation of waste management technologies, community consultation, environmental impact studies, product utilisation and land management. It has world-class laboratory and analytical facilities, glass-houses and a field site for testing technologies, R&D work, pilot scale studies and product trials.

To date the Centre has been successful in attracting over 1.2 million dollars in research funding.