By Luke Stewart and Stephanie Collins
Did you know that every 20kgs of FOGO compost made equals 20kg of carbon abatement?
FOGO: Frequent Questions and Answers
What is FOGO?
FOGO is an acronym for Food Organics & Garden Organics.
A FOGO bin has a lime-green lid and is where residents can dispose of organic food and garden waste from their household. If you are from a lucky council with a FOGO bin, it will be collected once a week. For more details on collections, please check your local council’s website.
What goes in your FOGO bin?
There’s a long list of things that can go in your FOGO bin. A good rule of thumb is, if it was alive it goes in your FOGO bin. Just like a home compost bin, you can put in your food scraps and garden clippings along with:
- Shredded paper
- Kitty litter and animal droppings
- Pet and human hair
- Soap and tissues
- Small amounts of cooking oil absorbed in paper towel or newspaper
- Soiled cardboard food containers, including greasy pizza boxes
- Flowers and weeds
- Dairy, meat and bones
- Processed and cooked foods
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Compostable bin liners (but not biodegradable)
Please do not put glass, ceramics, demolition, building supplies, medical waste, or hazardous household waste including chemicals, batteries, or printer cartridges in your FOGO bin. This can cause contamination.
Tips for taking care of your FOGO bin and kitchen caddy:
When you become a lucky duck and get a FOGO bin, your council will also give you a kitchen caddy.
- Wrap perishable items in newspaper or in a compostable bin liner
- Don’t put liquids into your bin
- Bring your bin in as soon after collection as you can
- Leave your bin in the shade
- Clean out bin and kitchen caddy regularly (the caddy, without the lid, can go on the bottom shelf of your dishwasher)
- Don’t over fill your bin (should not be overflowing or weigh more than 70kgs)
Why are we using FOGO bins?
Organic material in our general waste bins may end up in landfills and as it breaks down naturally, it can produce methane gas, which is harmful to humans and contributes to greenhouse gases. Organic materials in our recycling bins can contaminate your recycling along with large amounts of recyclable materials if it begins the recycling process in our recycling facilities. This can lead to wasted resources and more waste as we dispose of the contaminated materials.
What is the three-bin FOGO system?
The three-bin system, including the general waste, recycling, and FOGO bins means that your waste is ending up in the right places and we can make the most of it. Organics collected through the FOGO bin program contain valuable nutrients and can be recycled into a high-quality compost.
Why is the Western Australian Government going FOGO?
The FOGO program is in line with the Western Australian Government and Waste Authorities best practise standards for landfill diversion and resource recovery. As part of the ‘Waste avoidance and resource recovery strategy 2030’ a consistent FOGO collection program will be implemented across the Perth and Peel regions by 2025. If your area hasn’t implemented it yet, check your local council’s websites for their FOGO rollout plans… and if they are not implementing, start asking why.
Why don’t I have a FOGO bin yet?
All councils will be investigating when the best time is for their residents to go FOGO. If you do start to get FOMO for FOGO, you can always write to your local member of parliament, councillor or council.
