WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ACTION - FOOD WASTE
Dominating food waste
The Rowan Dominator Depackager’s 2500 model variant.
CEA’S ROWAN DOMINATOR DEPACKAGER IS GIVING THE FOOD INDUSTRY A CIRCULAR AND SAFE SOLUTION FOR PACKAGE HANDLING.
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or years, many within the food and hospitality sector have been exposed to potentially harmful bacteria, such as E. coli or salmonella. Many of these diseases are born out of the incorrect handling of both food products and packaging. According to Queensland Health, there are 55,000 cases of salmonella each year and the total annual cost to society for foodborne illness is $1.249 billion. Jay Cutting, New South Wales Sales Representative for Komptech CEA says the Rowan Dominator Depackager machine is helping to prevent this transmission. “By using the Rowan Dominator Depackager, companies no longer need to put their workers in unnecessary
68 / WMR / May 2022
harm, whether that be from foodborne illnesses or other related injuries,” he says. “This is being achieved while also increasing the throughput and efficiency of the user’s operation.” The Rowan Dominator Depackager uses a motor to drive a solid steel shaft lined with paddles. Through both mechanical and centrifugal forces, material is de-packaged and forced through a set of punch plate screens and the waste packaging is discharged through a separate chute, separating recyclables and waste products simultaneously. The machine can handle a variety of packaging, including supermarket waste, plastic bottles, tinned cans, packaged pet food waste,
pharmaceutical, cosmetics and even plasterboard waste. “Instead of disposing of the packing and content to landfill, these products are going through the Dominator, with the contents being removed and the tins being collected for recycling,” Jay says. Australians throw away about 1.9 million tonnes of packaging each year – enough to fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground nine times over, according to Sustainability Victoria. As such, Jay says that any progress made towards a full circular economy for food waste is a positive step. “Once separated, the packaging is able to be recycled,” he says. “The machine is helping to close the loop for packaging which previously would
