Prisoners do bit for the planet
THE most advanced prison in the country will soon be one of the greenest.
A partnership between the Southern Queensland Correctional Centre and a Lockyer Valley commercial worm farm will result in the prison reducing the amount of produce ending up in landfills.
Gatton prison operator Serco is sending its compostable waste to be eaten by worms at Eco Valley Worm Farm near Lake Clarendon.
Waste from food and the prison's biodegradable cornstarch food containers is consumed by the worms.
Prison director Mark Walters said the initiative was part of the prison's commitment to deal with all of its waste in a sustainable way.
"Serco's aim is for none of the prison's waste to go to landfill," he said.
Despite the amount of waste produced by the prison, it only scratches the surface of the worms' appetite.
Eco Valley spokesman Greg Wallace said the farm went through four to five tonnes of waste per day keeping the worms fed.
The partnership is one of a number of sustainability projects run at the prison, including a recycling project with Lockyer Valley group Ahuna.
