There’s a field of fresh green grass at Underwood Park in Priestdale where an incredible transformation is taking place.
Council is trialling a new type of mulch and seed mixture that not only increases grass coverage, but helps reduce landfill and pollution as well.
To do so, Council has teamed up with BlockTexx – a Logan-based textile recycling business diverting thousands of tonnes of waste from landfill.
From these textiles, the company extracts cellulose and plastic pellets.
We all know plastic pellets can be used to make pretty much anything, and cellulose has a bunch of uses including medicine and agriculture.
For this trial, the cellulose is used in a mixture with grass seeds to create hydro mulch.
The early results are promising with the product holding more water and promoting rapid growth.
BlockTexx co-founder Graham Ross said the process effectively takes what nature grew in the first place and puts it back into nature.
Turning waste into reusable products is good for our economy, good for our community and good for our city.
This world-first technology is being created right here in Logan.
It’s just another way our city is punching above its weight and putting itself on the map.
I want to see more innovative local companies starting or moving here, exploring new solutions to reducing landfill and encouraging recycling.
We want Logan to be a place where new ideas are born and can grow – just like the grass at Underwood Park.
So does it work?
Well, Council reserved part of the same area to turf using regular methods, so the two patches could be compared.
After just four weeks, the hydro mulch patch is greener and longer.
And as someone who spent an hour rolling around in that grass for some media photos, I can assure you it is very lush.
Next time you’re at Underwood Park at Priestdale, head to the dog park, and see if you can tell which patch of grass was grown using recycled textiles.
