Recycled glass powder boosts Australian farm yields and livestock growth

A growing number of Australian farmers are using a pulverised glass product, made from recycled bottles, to enhance pasture productivity. Victorian agronomist Peter Norwood has been recommending the Queensland-origin amendment, suggesting it can raise plant growth by up to 30 % and improve milk yields and livestock weight gain. The material is manufactured at a $4 million Brisbane facility co-owned by agronomist David Archer and investors, where glass is reduced to powder and granules in a large ceramic-lined tumbler.

Applied either as a water-mixed spray or dry spread, the silicon-rich dust strengthens plant defenses and releases locked nutrients such as iron and phosphate, allowing farmers to use less imported nitrogen fertilizer. The approach gained attention after fertilizer imports slowed and prices rose earlier this year. Tony Donovan, manager of 14,000 ha for Midfield Meats, reported winter cattle gaining 1.4-2 kg per day, roughly double previous rates, after using the product. The initiative turns waste glass into a cost-effective, environmentally friendly agricultural input.