Taking out the trash at Sydney Markets

Where our food comes from is a big issue these days. If you live in Sydney there’s one thing you can be sure of: unless you picked it in your back garden, the food on your plate came through Sydney Markets. Covering a vast plot in Flemington, the market is a hive of activity from the early hours – and virtually deserted by lunch.

Wherever there’s food, there’s waste. I was asked by PR and Comms agency The Bravery to get some shots of the market’s disposal systems and in particular its relationship with Veolia, a leader in sustainable waste management. That also involved a trip to Earthpower, Veolia’s food waste plant, where rotting food stuff is converted into electricity. Not the most fragrant of gigs, but quite fascinating. At one stage I was reminded of the classic ‘trash compactor’ scene in the original Star Wars…