Everything you need to know about your FOGO bin service
FOGO is an acronym for Food Organics Garden Organics. It's a kerbside bin collection service run by councils in Australia that collects both food scraps and garden waste in the same bin and takes them to a commercial composting facility to be turned into compost.
Food and organic waste that is sent to landfill is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Using your FOGO bin to recycle your food scraps and garden waste is an easy way to have a positive impact on the environment. FOGO is esepcially helpful for workplaces, schools and people in living apartment blocks who may not have the means or space to have a compost of their own.
What is the FOGO process?
Food scraps and garden waste collected in FOGO bins are taken to a regional composting site. After the material is checked for contamination, it undergoes a combination of static and forced air composting processes.
The compost produced from FOGO material can be sold to farmers and industry, used in parks and gardens or for rehabilitating land. The potential uses for the compost are determined by contamination levels (i.e. FOGO bins that have high levels of contamination from things like plastic will not be turned into quality compost and will have fewer applications).
What goes in the FOGO bin?
This will vary from council to council, but below is a general guide. Check directly with your council to see if they have any restrictions on what can be put in your FOGO bin.
Generally, you can put all food scraps in your FOGO bin including: |
Materials that aren't accepted FOGO bins include: |
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FOGO across Australia
Halving Australia's food waste by 2030 is the target of the National Food Waste Strategy, which you can read more about here. Each state has its own roll out plan, actions and sometimes funding which can enable local councils to introduce FOGO in their area.
Click on your state or territory for more info
Frequently Asked Questions
What goes in the FOGO bin?
This will vary from council to council.
Generally, a FOGO bin will accept all food scraps including: Fruit and veggie peels
• Cooked food scraps
•Grains
•Meat, bones and dairy products
• Compostable caddy liners supplied by your council ONLY. These caddy liners will comply with Australian Standard AS 4736-2006.
•Fibre based kitchen caddy liners (paper or newspaper)
•Garden organic including clippings, dried leaves and weeds
Materials that aren't accepted in FOGO service include
• Pet poo and pet poo bags
• Bamboo, timber or cardboard packaging and cutlery
•Serviettes/napkins
•Compostable or biodegradable plastic products or bags
•Vacuum cleaner dust, washing machine lint or dryer lint
Do FOGO bins smell?
Using your FOGO bin is unlikely to create or attract any more odours or pests inside your home than before. Your council will provide you with a kitchen benchtop bin, however, you can use any container to collect your food scraps.
•Working primarily with fruit and vegetable scraps, bread, rice and pasta is a good place to start. If you are concerned about meats, seafood, and dairy, you can keep these in the fridge or freezer until bin day to minimise smells.
•Use an airtight container to collect your scraps. This can help reduce smells in your kitchen.
•Keep your bin in highly visible areas or with your other bins so you remember to use it. Make sure it is stored out of direct sunlight.
Do I need to use compostable liners?
Not necessarily, putting food in loose without using a liner is the most environmentally friendly way to FOGO. If you are not going to use a bin liner, here are some useful tips:
•Use an airtight container to collect your scraps. This can help reduce smells in your kitchen.
• Keep your bin in highly visible areas or with your other bins so you remember to use it. Make sure it is stored out of direct sunlight.
•Regularly empty your FOGO container (2 to 3 times per week).
•Alternatively, you can line your bin with scrap paper or newspaper to keep the container clean.
You should otherwise only use compostable caddy liners supplied by your council. These caddy liners will comply with Australian Standard AS 4736-2006.
How do I prevent pests, insects, and smells from coming from my FOGO or Green bin?
Using your FOGO bin is unlikely to create more odours or attract more or pests than before. Keeping your FOGO bin lid closed, wrapping your food waste in council supplied liners or newspaper will prevent pests and vermin from gathering in your bin.
Some tips for preventing smells and pests include:
•Regularly empty and clean your benchtop container with soapy water to keep it clean.
•Sprinkle bicarb soda in your kitchen and outdoor bin to absorb any liquids and neautralise smells.
•Keep your kitchen and outdoor bins lids closed to keep vermin and pests out.
•Move your FOGO bin to a shaded area to avoid direct sunlight.
•Rinse your wheelie bin with a hose or boiling water as needed.
How do I get a FOGO bin/bin liners?
Your access to FOGO services will depend on your local council. Approximately 30 per cent of Australian’s have access to FOGO through their councils, but more services are frequently being rolled out.
If your council offers a FOGO service, you can contact them to provide you with resources for compatible bin liners and collection bins. FOGO services integrate with your regular Green bin services and will be collected through its regular collection schedule. Check with your council as you may also have increased services for FOGO collection.
If you council does not offer FOGO services, this may have to do with your council’s current waste contracts or a perceived lack of interest in your area. Contact your council about your interest in having a FOGO service in your area to get the process started.
