What is FOGO?

Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) is a kerbside collection service that allows food to be added to the existing greenwaste bin so it can be recycled into top quality compost, instead of being disposed of in landfill.

As a general rule for your FOGO Bin, if it lives or grows, in it goes!

Why is the City Implementing FOGO?

The WA State Government requires all local governments in Perth and Peel to move to FOGO by 2025. The adoption of FOGO is part of the City’s ongoing commitment to reduce waste and reduce greenhouse gases.

The following are the key objectives.

  • Minimise waste and maximise resource recovery from all waste streams. 
  • Provide a cost efficient waste management service to ratepayers. 
  • Educate the community about the benefits of waste management. 
  • Identify innovative waste treatments which will further minimise waste to landfill. 

According to the City’s waste audits, around 50% of our household waste is food scraps and garden organics. The FOGO bin makes it easy for you to separate this material so that it can be turned into compost instead of going to landfill.

The new FOGO bin service incorporating food organics will assist in achieving over 65% of the State Government’s waste recovery target with comparison to the City’s current recovery rate of 51%.

How will it work?

Most Nedlands households have three bins; a lime green lid which will be converted to Food Organics Garden Organics bin (FOGO), a yellow lid recycling bin and a red lid general waste bins

The FOGO bin will be collected weekly and your general waste and recycling bins will be collected on an alternate fortnightly basis. You will also be provided with a kitchen caddy for collecting food scraps, along with certified compostable (AS 4736) bin liners to get you started.

For people living in a unit or apartment complex where bins are shared, the number of bins required for your unit complex will be based on the size of the complex.

When will the new service start?

The first FOGO collection service will commence on Monday, 7 November 2022.

When will I receive my kitchen caddy and compostable bin liners?

The City will commence changing your waste bin lids from the existing green/white lid to a red lid and delivering the kitchen caddies and compostable bin liners (AS4736) to inside your private property (where possible). This is part of State Government’s Better Bins Plus: GO FOGO program guidelines.

We will start swapping your bin lids from Monday, 24 October 2022.

Inside the kitchen caddy will be your information pack which includes:

  • A guide to your FOGO system
  • Bin collection calendar
  • A years supply of compostable liners
  • 3 x magnets (waste, recycling and FOGO)

About your compostable liners

You may notice when opening your compost bags for the first time that they have a City of Melville logo on them. This is not a printing mistake. The City of Melville had a surplus of compost bags and was willing to share. As a result, this collaboration will provide significant cost savings and minimise the environmental impact of producing new materials, which aligns with the City’s procurement objectives.

If you need to purchase additional caddy liners, ensure they are certified (AS 4736) compostable.

What do I do with my kitchen caddy once I have received it?

The kitchen compost caddy is a countertop style bin – making it convenient to have near your chopping board or sink for easy access when chopping vegetables or other fresh food.

Here’s how to use your caddy:

  1. Line your kitchen caddy with a compostable liner, newspaper or nothing.
  2. Place your food scraps in the caddy.
  3. Ensure the lid is kept closed to avoid attracting insects or odour.
  4. Every two to three days or when your caddy is full, transfer your caddy contents to the green lidded organics bin.
  5. Although optional, it is recommended to rinse and dry your kitchen caddy after emptying (especially if you go liner free) in between emptying your caddy. Your caddy is also dishwasher safe.

Please ensure only compostable bin liners are used.

If you move out, please leave the kitchen caddy behind for the new residents.

Is my Caddy dishwasher safe?

Yes, your caddy is dishwasher safe

What Goes in which bin?

Lime Green lid (FOGO bin) collected WEEKLY

Do :

  • Food scraps: meat, bones, seafood, shells, fruit and veg, bread, rice and dairy (raw and cooked)
  • Tea bags and coffee grounds
  • Used paper towels
  • Shredded paper
  • Garden waste; Lawn clippings; small branches, weeds and flowers
  • Pizza boxes
  • Tissues
  • Cardboard
  • Compostable liners (AS 4736)
  • Kitty litter
  • Cat and dog poo (only inside a compostable liner)

Don’t:

  • General Rubbish
  • Nappies and Hygiene products
  • Plastic bags and bottles
  • Toiletry items (razors, toothpaste tubes ect)
  • Plastic bags (only the supplied compostable liners or newspaper to wrap food scraps are to be used)
  • Bricks, sand, soil and rocks
  • Glass or ceramics
  • Hazardous waste including petrol, gas cylinders, paints, motor oils, garden chemicals and poisons, pool chemicals, acids, bleaches and ammonia, medicines and flammable liquids
  • Medical Waste or needles
  • Bamboo cutlery

Yellow Recycling Bin – Collected FORTNIGHTLY

Do:

  • Paper (not shredded)
  • Clean cardboard (flattened)
  • Glass
  • Plastic containers and plastic bottles
  • Aluminium cans
  • Steel cans

All items should be clean, dry and empty with lids removed and placed in the bin loosely.

Don’t

  • Soft (scrunchable) plastic e.g. plastic bags, plastic film and snack wrappers
  • Polystyrene
  • Disposal coffee cups
  • Long life milk cartons
  • Nappies and hygiene products
  • Damaged textiles and old clothing
  • Meat trays
  • Garden and food waste
  • Gas bottles and aerosol cans
  • Electronic waste and batteries
  • Ropes, cables and hose
  • Recycling in bags

Red lid General Waste bin – Collected FORTNIGHTLY

Do:

  • General rubbish
  • Nappies and hygiene products
  • Old clothing
  • Soft plastic and polystyrene
  • Meat trays
  • Small plastic items (straws, lids, cutlery)
  • Disposal coffee cups, long life milk cartons

Don’t’:

  • FOGO material ( food organics and garden organics)
  • Recyclables
  • Hazardous items

For a full A-Z list of what goes in which bin, visit Materials A-Z – Recycle Right

The City encourages you to install the Recycling Right App, which covers all three bin system in WA and provides additional disposal options for items that cannot be placed in your kerbside bins.

I live in an apartment/unit. How will the FOGO system work for me?

For people living in a unit or apartment complex where bins are shared, the number of bins required for your unit complex will be based on the size of the complex.  Additional FOGO bins will be supplied to group dwellings if required.

This service will commence on Monday, 7 November 2022.

Will there be an extra cost for FOGO?

There will be no additional costs or fees for FOGO service implementation.

Will the FOGO system be rolled out to businesses?

No, the City will only be implementing FOGO waste collections for residential properties including multi dwellings (MUD). 

What are the size and capacity of bins available?

When the FOGO services commences, your bin sizes and bin collection day will stay the same, but the frequency of collections will change:

  • Lime green-lidded FOGO bin has capacity of 240L and is collected weekly.
  • Yellow lidded recycling bin has capacity of 240L and is collected fortnightly.
  • Red-lidded general waste bin has capacity of 120L or 240L and is collected fortnightly.

*Please note there are additional fees for the larger 240L rubbish bin and additional FOGO bins.

I already compost, use bokashi or have a worm farm at home. Do I need a FOGO lime green bin?

If you are already using one, it is encouraged that you continue using a compost bin, bokashi bin or worm farm. You can use your FOGO bin for items you can’t put in your home compost bin such as bones, meat and seafood and excess garden waste.  If you use bokashi, you can put the waste material from the bokashi bin into the FOGO bin after it has fermented (if you have nowhere to bury it).

Will there be changes to collection days?

There will be no changes to your bin collection day. If changes are made, you will be formally notified.

So, your FOGO bin will be collected weekly on your usual collection day, while general waste and recycling bin will be collected fortnightly on alternate weeks.  This will ensure there are never more than two bins on your verge at the same time.  

Your new Kitchen Caddy will contain a FOGO information Guide including a Bin collection Calendar so you will know when to put each bin out on the verge for collection.

What can I line my kitchen caddy with?

Within your caddy pack to be delivered to your house when FOGO rolls out, you will receive a year’s supply of compostable liners. It is recommended you use these liners to minimise odour.

Alternatively, you can use newspaper or even no lining at all.

When purchasing additional liners, it is important to ensure you purchase the correct liners. Only compostable liners with the AS 4736 certification will be accepted, not biodegradable, nor part plant based, and not recycled plastic. The use of anything other than newspaper or compostable liners will result in contamination of your FOGO bin.

What happens to the waste in the FOGO bin?

FOGO material will be taken to Veolia’s Organics Composting Facility in North Bannister. The material will be checked for contamination and then undergo Aerobic 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 will be determined by contamination levels. This means it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure as minimum contamination as possible so everyone can benefit from the the compost produced.

How can I reduce smells, insects, and pests in my FOGO bin?

The lime green lid FOGO bin will be collected weekly so it shouldn’t smell any more than your rubbish bin does now.

Your red lid rubbish bin will be collected fortnightly. Most items that cause odours can go in the FOGO bin, with a couple of exceptions, such as disposable nappies.

Wrapping food scraps in newspaper helps reduce smells or you can use compostable bags. Layering food waste with dry materials, like lawn clippings or paper, can also help. Freeze particularly odorous food scraps, like seafood, and put them in the organics bin the night before collection.

Here are some helpful tips to reduce odours in your FOGO bin:

  • Put your FOGO bin out every week, even if it’s not full.
  • Wrap food scraps in newspaper.
  • Layer food waste with dry materials, such as leaves, shredded paper and soiled cardboard will help absorb liquids.
  • If possible, allow lawn clippings and garden cuttings to dry out to prevent moisture build up.
  • Freeze particularly odorous food scraps, like seafood and meat, and put them in the organics bin the night before collection.
  • If you have space, keep your entire caddy in the freezer.
  • Keep your bins in the shade and ensure lids can properly close by not overfilling the bin.
  • Sprinkle baking soda, kitty litter or lemon juice in the bin after emptying.

Can I put bioplastics into my FOGO bin? Ie. compostable coffee cups, biodegradable cutlery

No - these items should be placed in the waste bin.

Can I opt out of FOGO?

Once rolled out, the three bin FOGO service will become the standard collection service in the City. Under the State Government’s recently revised Waste Strategy 2030, all Councils are required to move to a three bin FOGO system by 2025.

The City of Nedlands will provide plenty of support and information to residents ahead of the rollout and beyond to ensure a smooth transition. If you have special circumstances, please contact us for further advice and assistance.

I have kids in nappies, the bin is going to smell and overflow

Waste audits undertaken in 2018 have shown that more than approximately 55% of general waste bin contents were recoverable organic food and garden waste, 14% were recyclables, leaving about 31% residual general waste. Although the general waste bin is smaller (120L), after separating out the organics and recyclables with the new 3 bin system, residents will have 50% more capacity in the new red lid general waste bin.

To minimise odours always ensure that the lids on your bins are properly closed. Research has shown that odours peak after four days and don’t get noticeably better or worse. Washing your bin out with detergent and a broom can also help to alleviate odours. Emptying the poo down the toilet and securing the nappy in a plastic bag will minimise odours.

Here are some additional tips in reducing smell in your general waste bin.

  • Keep your bins in the shade and ensure lids can properly close by not overfilling the bin.
  • If possible, empty poo from the nappies into the toilet before wrapping the nappy and putting it in the bin
  • Wrap the nappy into itself using the tabs
  • Consider using modern cloth nappies
  • Hang a small mesh bag (like a jewellery bag) filled with a clay based kitty litter from the bin handle into the bin to help absorb smells.
  • Sprinkle baking soda, kitty litter or lemon juice in the bin after empty to reduce odours.

For households producing excess waste and struggling with their existing general waste bin due to nappies, the City offers upgrade waste bins at an additional cost.  If you wish to upgrade the bin service, please complete the Request to Change my Bin Service form available on the City’s website.

What happens to my FOGO after it is collected

FOGO collected in the City of Nedlands is taken to Veolia’s Bibra Lake Organics Facility where it is screened to remove contamination. The cleaned organics are then transferred in bulk to Veolia’s North Bannister Organics Facility for composting.

Veolia’s organics facility produces “Vitagro Soil Conditioner” from household and commercial organics which is used by horticulture, agriculture, mining, civil works and commercial landscaping.

Each and every batch of compost produced at the facility is tested against the Australian Standard AS4454 requirements for composts, mulches and soil conditioners. Compost produced at the North Bannister organics facility is Australian Standard AS4454 certified, Smart WaterMark approved and NIASA nursery accredited.