Get Your Waste Sorted
From July 2024, you will have a fortnightly collection of three kerbside bins:
- Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO)
- Recycling
- Landfill (General Waste)
If we all use the bins correctly, you will have less rubbish in your general waste bin, meaning less waste in landfill!
Even the smallest piece of waste in the wrong bin causes big problems when being processed, composted or recycled. Make sure you sort your waste the right way, go to the North West Resource Recovery & Recycling (NWRRR) website at www.nwrrr.com.au for the full A-Z guide.
What is FOGO?
FOGO stands for Food Organics and Garden Organics. The kerbside collection service, coming to North West Tasmania, is for both food and garden waste including kitchen scraps, lawn clippings and small branches. When FOGO is collected and processed, it is turned into compost to be used in farms, parks and sports fields, rather than just rotting in landfill.
When is FOGO being introduced?
Households will be provided with a 240L green-lidded wheelie bin between mid-May to mid-June ahead of the service commencing from early July 2024.
NOTE: You can start filling your new FOGO bin in the last week of June.
Why is FOGO coming to my local area?
About 40% of all the general waste produced by our households is food and garden waste. When this waste is placed in the landfill bin and sent to landfill, it degrades and generates environmentally harmful greenhouse gases.
There is also a cost for waste that goes to landfill – by reducing the waste going to landfill we save you and the community money while creating a greener, safer future.
How does FOGO work?
It starts in your kitchen and garden. You can use any container to collect your food scraps from the kitchen and tip them into the green lidded FOGO bin. If you have a garden or indoor plants, leaves, flowers and pruning, from these can also be placed into the FOGO bin. Ensure to maintain general hygiene by cleaning out your scraps container and washing your hands when handling.
The FOGO bin is then collected as part of the fortnightly waste collection service, similar to the current recycling collection. From there, FOGO waste is taken to a processing facility to begin the treatment and testing to create healthy composting that will be used around the local community and farms.
For communities in the new service, general waste will then be collected fortnightly; except Latrobe and Central Coast, which already have fortnightly collections for waste.
How to use FOGO?
Simply collect food scraps from food preparation through to unused leftovers as well as garden waste that you may normally put in your landfill bin, and instead put them into the FOGO bin.
What can I put in the FOGO bin?
You can put food and organic garden waste in your FOGO bin. Food waste includes:
- vegetable peelings,
- fruit, including citrus,
- cooked food and leftovers,
- meat scraps and bones,
- seafood waste, and
- dairy.
Together with your food waste, your garden organics such as lawn clippings, weeds, veggie patch waste and small branches can also be added to the bin.
The information kit with the bin will include information to remind you of what goes in which bin. An A-Z guide is on the nwrrr.com.au website or you can contact Council.
What can I not put in the FOGO bin?
PLEASE DO NOT put any plastics or biodegradable plastics, plastic bags, cling wrap, glass, tins and cans, foil, Tetrapaks, nappies, treated timber, gravel, rocks or building material into your FOGO bin.
Fireplace ash, pet waste and dead animals are also not suitable – these can go in the landfill bin.
Separate food waste from containers so only food waste goes in FOGO. If the container is recyclable, then give it a rinse and it can go into the recycling bin.
The information kit with the bin will include information to remind you of what goes in which bin. An A-Z guide is on the nwrrr.com.au website.
I already compost /have a worm farm /feed food scraps to my chickens. Why do I need this service?
Great! You will find the FOGO service can process a larger amount of garden organics and ‘harder to compost items’ such as: dairy, meat, bones, bread, grains and citrus. This means you can use it alongside your home composting or chicken food.
Will I receive a caddy for my kitchen?
We have chosen not to provide caddies to simplify the service, reduce cost to households and provide a choice in what works for you. This limits the resources needed to operate the service.
Use items you already have to collect your kitchen scraps like an old Tupperware or ice-cream container or bucket. This way you choose what works for your household, lifestyle and kitchen space.
Can I use bin liners?
NO bin liners can be used to prevent contamination. Instead, line your chosen container with paper towel or newspaper to prevent mess or give it a quick rinse at the bin and water the garden with the wash water.
Will my FOGO bin smell?
It’s no lie that waste will smell at times, just like your landfill bin may do now. Below are tips that you can use to reduce this:
- Keep your bin in the shade if possible and always keep the lid shut
- Layer your food waste with garden waste such as lawn clippings and leaf litter or cardboard/wastepaper
- Rinse your bin out regularly and let it dry completely
- Freeze fish and meat waste, and put in your FOGO bin the morning of collection
- Use a sprinkling of bicarbonate soda to deodorise your bin or caddy
- Offer a helping hand to anyone in the community, such as an elderly neighbour, who may struggle to implement this.
How often will it get collected?
The FOGO bin, alongside landfill and recycling bins, will be collected fortnightly.
Your local schedule will be available in June.
Why are we moving to a fortnightly collection schedule? Can I opt in for a weekly service?
The fortnightly collection schedule helps keep costs down which means no significant increase in collection fees for most ratepayers.
The fortnightly collection schedule has proven successful in Councils across Tasmania already providing FOGO given the cooler climate, compared to the mainland. Residents of Latrobe Councils have had fortnightly waste collections for more than 20 years without any significant issues and Central Coast residents changed to this system 5 years ago.
We understand moving to fortnightly waste collection can feel like a big change for some, so we have a few supports in place to help everyone manage.
Can I opt out of this service?
You cannot opt out if you live within the designated service area. This initiative is going to be delivered to 38,000 households across the North West of Tasmania as part of the current waste collection service.
How much will the FOGO collection service cost?
Our new FOGO collection service will not add to your current waste collection cost. By collecting waste every two weeks and reducing the amount going to landfills, FOGO can be introduced with a cost-neutral impact on waste management charges.
On July 1st, the State Government will raise the landfill fee for general waste from $20 per ton to $40 per ton, and then to $60 per ton in 2026. Fortunately, these hikes don’t affect the FOGO service as FOGO is diverted from landfill and is used for creating compost. As the levy and other landfill costs increase, FOGO will further help reduce pressure on future waste collection fees.
FOGO is a cost-effective option for disposing of food and garden waste, maximising our environmental impact, and helping to limit future waste management expenses.
Together we expect to save around 7,500 tonnes to landfill and more than $340,000 in state taxes in the first year. This will increase to more than $525,000 by 2026.
What do I do with nappies, medical waste and animal waste?
Nappy, animal and medical waste remain in the landfill bin. Under health and safety laws, we are unable to process these items in the FOGO service as it is a health and safety risk to processing staff.
I live in a flat/apartment, can I get a FOGO bin?
Yes. Multi-unit dwellings are able to receive a service to supplement your kerbside bin collections. If you have a recycling bin now, your property will get the FOGO bin. If not, property owner/rate payer consent is required, and a service fee does apply.
I rent, can I get a FOGO bin?
Yes, if you have a recycling bin now, your property will get the FOGO bin. If not, property owner/rate payer consent is required, and a service fee does apply.
Can businesses join the FOGO service?
At this stage we are focused on rolling the service out to households but want to commence a food service businesses as soon as possible. Please register your interest at [email protected] using the subject line “Commercial FOGO Interest”.
Is FOGO the solution for food waste?
FOGO is one simple thing you can do with your waste that will make a big difference for the environment. However, reducing food waste in the first place is crucial. A lot of energy, water, financial and natural resources go into the production of the food we buy and what we waste. Reducing your food waste in the first place will not only help the environment but also save you money. Here are more ways to reduce food waste:
- Make a list – Check your fridge and pantry supplies, make a list before shopping and stick to it.
- Manage your supplies – check use by dates to ensure you don’t let food spoil simply by being overlooked.
- Plan ahead – Plan meals and what to do with leftovers – like turning it into tomorrow’s lunch or freezing it to use later on.
- Check out resources online for ideas on how to get the most from food in season and save money while eating it at its freshest. There are many websites that can provide tips to get better value and reduce food waste. Google “avoid food waste” and browse on.
How many jobs does FOGO create for the local economy?
Within the plant making the compost there will be six new jobs created. However, the facility also supports the many food processors in the North West that need to meet sustainability targets to keep their retailers commitments and the farms that supply produce to them; which supports more than 1,000 jobs in the region.
I have feedback – praise or concerns for the FOGO collection service. Who do I contact?
Any questions, comments or concerns about the service contact [email protected] or call (03) 6427 4646.