Study to investigate uses for Marlborough wine harvest waste

A research project is to investigate how the leftover plant material from Marlborough's wine harvest can be recycled.

The region produces up to 65,000 tonnes of grape marc each year, which can contain up to 60 percent liquid and requires careful management to minimise its impacts on the environment.

Grape marc includes the grape skins, stalks and seeds left over after harvest and winemaking.

The Marlborough District Council has been awarded funding from the 2018 Waste Minimisation Fund for the project.

Council's Solid Waste Manager Alec McNeil said the grant of $127,711 would assist a Council-commissioned research project run by Massey University on grape marc.

"This research project will consider options for turning this material into a stable, reusable and marketable product, while minimising its environmental impact," he said.

The total cost of the grape marc project is $170,282.

The Waste Minimisation Fund is managed by the Ministry for the Environment through funds raised from the landfill levy. 

Newshub.