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Open Innovation Challenge delivers solutions with great potential to reduce waste in horticulture

Open Innovation Challenge delivers solutions with great potential to reduce waste in horticulture

inorganic waste horticulture

Reusable irrigation pipes and tech capable of converting plastic into fuel are among the cutting-edge innovations that have come out of Agtech and Logistic Hub’s Open Innovation Challenge. 

Twelve innovators involved in the challenge are now taking their technology further – eight are scaling their businesses and another four are trialling their solutions with industry.  

The Hub launched the Open Innovation Challenge earlier this year with a goal to reduce the amount of inorganic waste used in horticulture, particularly plastic.  

Australia’s largest fruit and vegetable grower Costa was part of the assessment panel and provided grower feedback to participants involved in the challenge. 

Statistics show that plastic is a huge contributor of waste, with Australian agriculture consuming an estimated 90,000 tonnes of it each year with only seven percent recycled. 

While sustainability has long been a focus, the reality is Australian producers have few commercially viable alternatives to the heavy use of plastics on farm and single-use plastics for consumer packaging. 

Hub Manager Owen Williams said sustainable packaging for perishable goods was among the wide range of innovations that had resulted from the challenge. 

“We have innovators developing some incredible products that aim to reduce the amount of inorganic waste in horticulture,” he explained. 

“We have an irrigation company doing reusable irrigation pipes. One company is turning plastics into fuel, and another is doing plastic mulch for vegetables. 

“And we’ve got a company that’s harnessing artificial intelligence to scare birds off orchards rather than using nets.” 

Mr Williams congratulated the 12 innovators for progressing to the final stage of the challenge and is looking forward to seeing how they scale their innovations. 

Jesse Reader – Commercial Manager – AgTech & Innovation, COSTA Group said it was rare to see such a focus on ‘inorganic’ waste reduction initiatives within horticulture.

“Critical thinking in this space is vital to ensure the long-term viability of our sector,” he said.

Stay tuned! We will soon publish videos featuring interviews with the 12 innovators involved in the challenge 

GROWING INNOVATION

Agtech and Logistics Hub is Australia’s home of digital agriculture and premier agribusiness innovation hub, working with innovators to fast-track the development of solutions in the agrifood sector.

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Agtech and Logistics Hub acknowledges the people, the traditional owners of the land where the hub is established and the region – the Gaibal, Keinjan, Barunggam and Jarowair peoples. Their history is our history. We pay our respect to their ancestors and their descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to country.