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FLEET OF THE MONTH
Body and soil PETER WADEWITZ IS A SPECIAL TYPE OF ECO-ENTREPRENEUR WHO HAS BUILT HIS BUSINESS BY REGARDING UNWANTED ORGANIC MATERIALS AS A RESOURCE RATHER THAN WASTE. Peats Soil receives and processes much of
away, it is something you never expect,”
and macro nutrients within a plant and the
metropolitan Adelaide’s green organics
Peter said at the time in response to the
health of the plant, it is the most exciting
from council kerbside and industrial
award. “I just do what I do because I am so
thing,” Peter says.
collections, as well as food organics from
passionate about it. I have been involved
Putting carbon back into the soil can have
businesses such as hotels, supermarkets,
in composting for 50 years. You have your
additional benefits other than curtailing
schools, office buildings, food processors
head down and your tail up, because you
pollution. Peter cites one farmer in NSW
and manufacturers. Peter Wadewitz and
believe in what you are doing.”
who has applied six tonnes of compost
his team developed the globally renowned
Peats Soil and Garden Supplies employs
product per hectare for ten years and has
BiobiN organic waste collection and on-site
almost 100 people and is a family run
built the soil carbon up from 0.5 per cent
processing facilities to divert potentially
company with a vision to be a world leader
to 4.5 per cent and now uses less water
useful products from being dumped
in sustainable and innovative organics
and less fertiliser while growing healthier
into landfill. The breakdown of organic
recycling. For 45 years Peats have been
fruit and vegetables.
materials in landfill generates the potent
processing and marketing recyclable
“We’ve also got vineyards that use 60
greenhouse gas methane and produces
organic resources, creating products for
per cent less water than their neighbours
potentially polluting leachate. From a
landscaping, garden and horticultural
because they are using organic matter in
climate perspective, diverting green waste
activities in South Australia where the
the topsoil,” he says.
from landfill has the largest impact of any
business is based.
Peats Soil and Garden Supplies operate
solid waste component.
Converting waste organics into useful soil
from three depots located in the Adelaide
Peter has been the Managing Director of
improvers has become a passion for Peter
suburbs of Willunga, Langhorne Creek
Peats Soil and Garden Supplies since 1974
who estimates that more than 15 million
and Dublin as well as at Whyalla. During
and he is so well respected in his area of
tonnes of usable organic material is still
2021 Peats Soils expanded into Darwin,
expertise, as well as being community
being dumped into landfill in Australia
although their own trucks don’t run up the
and environmentally supportive, that he
every year.
Sturt Highway with Mildura being the most
was awarded the Medal of the Order of
“When you see compost going out onto
distant regular destination. The trucks run
Australia (OAM) in 2020.
farms and you see healthy soil and what it
regularly to Portland in Victoria as well as
“This is an unbelievable honour. I am blown
does for a plant, and what it does for micro
into NSW.
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Trailer Magazine OCTOBER 21
