About Us

 

C-Wise is a Western Australian owned company whose primary business is recycling organic carbon. Our passion is providing smart, natural solutions to farms, communities and industry that allows them to make organic carbon an integral part of their operations.

Started in 1996 as Custom Composts by Andy Gulliver and Dave Cullen, the business revolves around the idea that ‘in ten years time, we will have made a difference’. The difference we are looking to make is creating a world in which organic carbon is truly valued. Valued organic carbon would mean never letting it go to landfill, it would mean managing soils with the goal of maintaining and improving soil organic carbon, and it would mean that we would do these things not just for a warm and fuzzy feeling, but because we don’t think that there is really any other choice.

 

Organic carbon is essential to the proper function of soils. The extension of this is that if we wish to continue to feed a growing population, or even maintain farm profitability, then we need to manage our working soils with methodologies that lead to as much organic carbon being added to the soil system as is being lost through natural processes each year. The part we play in this ideal is in intercepting and recycling organic wastes into forms that can readily be re-used to improve soil health and function. We recycle wastes including manures, timber mill wastes, restaurant cooking oils, engine coolant, fuel and even paint. Anything that is based around carbon could potentially be recycled by composting. We open ourselves to the possibility that there is really no such thing as organic wastes, just components in an industrial ecosystem where organic carbon cycles around and around.

 

We embrace the concept that true sustainability is based around covering the bases of economic, environmental and social responsibility. Environmentally we contribute to and undertake environmental rehabilitation in our area. We have been working on innovations to make environmental rehabilitation cheaper and easier, and we also work hard to help food producers to limit their off-site environmental impacts. We have run a long term program with Pinjarra Senior High School which involves students coming to our site and learning the core skills of agriculture. They get to experience in how soils work, and learn that there are viable and fulfilling careers to be had outside of an office or a mine.

 

In order to stay ahead of emerging issues C-Wise both supports and participates in leading scientific research through universities and grower groups. We feel that all the practices that we recommend need to be based on the most solid and up to date evidence possible. Participating in scientific research allows us to achieve this while expanding the boundaries and quality of human understanding of soil processes.

 

C-Wise welcomes you to call us, email us, visit our operations site, or do whatever else you feel it takes to join in the carbon conversation.