Children’s FOGO activities
- Thursday, July 04, 2024
- Ballajura Public Library
The City is excited to introduce a three-bin kerbside collection system from 2024. Properties will soon have three bins – recycling, general waste and FOGO.
FOGO stands for Food Organics and Garden Organics. The FOGO bin will collect organic food and garden materials which are recovered and processed into FOGO products, such as compost or soil conditioner.
The City is introducing the three-bin kerbside collection system to align with the Waste Authority’s Better Practice FOGO Kerbside Collection Guidelines.
The City is committed to promoting sustainable consumption and reducing waste production. Introducing FOGO helps us achieve this.
Currently, each residential property in the City puts about 850kg in its general waste bin each year, and over half of this is organic material.
By separating this waste and putting it in the lime green-lid FOGO bin, we will recover organic waste and turn it into useful products that can be reused in our community.
The City will be joining a growing number of local governments that have introduced the three-bin kerbside collection system.
The City is transitioning to the three-bin kerbside collection system using a staged rollout starting in 2024 and finishing in 2027.
Search for your rollout dates with find my bin day.
As the City needs to operate an additional collection service for the lime green-lid FOGO bin, there will be a modest increase to your annual waste charge. This will be partly offset by the reduced costs of processing FOGO in comparison to the disposal costs of general waste.
The cost of operating these waste services is bundled with the cost of operating our kerbside collections - all included in the City’s standard waste charge.
In the long term, general waste disposal costs are expected to increase. This makes FOGO an economical waste processing option.
The City provides a range of waste services to our residents, including:
Yes, they will.
You will keep your yellow-lid recycling bin. You will receive a 140L red-lid general waste bin and your 240L green-lid bin will be replaced with a new lime green FOGO lid.
In the new three-bin kerbside collection system, you’ll have 70L of extra waste capacity for materials each week.
If you find that you still have problems with space, you have the following options:
Yellow-lid recycling bin
Lime green-lid FOGO bin
Red-lid general waste bin
The City is the largest metropolitan local government by land size in Western Australia. We provide waste services to over 65,000 properties.
By rolling out the three-bin kerbside collection system over multiple stages, we can provide high-quality customer service to our residents and respond quickly to your concerns.
You will only receive the FOGO service once your stage’s rollout starts.
Businesses that pay the standard City waste charge for kerbside collection will move to the three-bin kerbside collection system.
The only exemption provided is for residents who have a medical condition that creates a large amount of general waste. They are eligible for receiving a new 240L red lid bin at rollout.
You will need to complete a Exceptional Circumstances Bin Service Application Form and have it signed by your general practitioner or medical specialist.
Yes, you will be included in the FOGO rollout.
The City will work with your strata managers to keep you informed.
At its Ordinary Council Meeting on February 14, 2024, City of Swan Council resolved to exclude the suburb of Gidgegannup from the implementation of a FOGO service.
Food Organics
Garden Organics
Caddy liners
Other Organics
When in doubt, leave it out.
View a full A-Z list of what goes into which bin.
Prepare for FOGO: Practice your source separation skills and try your hand at the Recycle Right sorting game(open in new window).
Some plant or natural materials can be mistaken for going in the FOGO bin. These items won’t compost during FOGO processing and should be placed in the red-lid general waste bin, donated, or taken to one of the City’s recycling centres.
Do not put the following in your lime green-lid FOGO bin:
When in doubt, leave it out.
View a full A-Z list of what goes into which bin.
Remember that hazardous or electronic waste should never be placed in any of your kerbside bins. Please take them to a collection point or the City’s recycling centres.
Large pieces of shredded garden waste take a very long time to decompose, so they don’t belong in the FOGO system.
If you have a pile of larger garden organics, please:
Once FOGO rolls out in your area, you will place two bins on your verge each week.
The lime green-lid FOGO bin will be collected weekly. The yellow-lid recycling bin and red-lid general waste bin will be collected on alternate fortnights.
Audits have shown the average household produces a lot of recoverable waste. You may find you produce significantly less general waste than you expected.
We encourage everyone to try their best to make the new system work. However, if you’ve tried your best and your bins are still overflowing, here are some options:
If you’re doing all of this and still have problems with space, you have the following options:
Yellow-lid recycling bin
Lime green-lid FOGO bin
Red-lid general waste bin
FOGO waste is taken to a processing facility. The waste will be checked for contamination and go through a rigorous composting process.
The compost can then be used for farms, parks, gardens and land rehabilitation projects.
Once your FOGO materials are collected, they will be processed into a high-quality compost that’s made to meet Australian standards.
The compost can be used to add valuable nutrients to soil, improve water retention in non-wetting soil and break up clay in soils with a high clay content.
Once the compost is added to your soil, it becomes a highly desirable environment for microorganisms and insects, improving your overall soil health and the immunity of your plants.
The Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council (EMRC) will process the City’s raw FOGO material and they plan to package a portion of the derived compost so that it can then be made available to the community for use on their gardens.
We will share details about availability and cost once the EMRC has finalised their plans.
Landfill sites are anaerobic environments, meaning they don’t contain oxygen.
When organic matter starts to break down in landfill, methane gas is produced and the organic material doesn’t decompose fully.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
FOGO removes all this green waste and food scraps from general waste and composts it. As a result, FOGO produces a valuable product for our community and reduces the harmful environmental impacts of general waste.
Most importantly, it creates a resource loop where:
You will get a kitchen caddy during the FOGO rollout when we replace your current green-lid with a lime green FOGO lid. Empty your caddy into your FOGO bin every few days to avoid odours.
You can collect meat scraps separately and store them in the freezer until bin collection day.
Yes, the kitchen caddy is dishwasher-safe and can go on the lower shelf of your dishwasher.
You can also hand wash it each time it is emptied or wipe it out with a vinegar solution.
You can pick up a replacement caddy, or caddy parts, at any of the City’s libraries, leisure centres or the City’s administration building.
You will receive two rolls of compostable caddy liners with your new kitchen caddy. Each roll has 75 liners.
Every 12 months, you are eligible for two more rolls of liners free of charge, on proof of residency.
You can get more compostable bags from:
“Biodegradable” or “recycled plastic” bags are not the same as compostable bags. These will break down into microplastics and contaminate the FOGO composting system.
You can also line the caddy with brown paper bags, newspaper, paper towels or paper serviettes. Some people choose to go without a liner and wash their caddies in their dishwasher.
To minimise odours from your organic waste, the lime green lid FOGO bin is collected weekly.
You can minimise odours in between collections by:
Odours in your red-lid general waste bin from items such as nappies, feminine hygiene products and biomedical waste can be reduced by:
You can prevent pests such as birds and flies from becoming a nuisance by:
Yes, animal droppings and waste from cleaning out your rabbit hutch can be put in your lime green-lid FOGO bin.
Kitty litter belongs in the general waste bin.
Used nappies (compostable, biodegradable, or conventional) belong in the red-lid General Waste bin.
Human waste can’t be processed into compost that meets Australian Standards.
To minimise any smells from used nappies:
Thank you! Making your own compost is rewarding, and we need more people like you.
The great news is the FOGO system handles organic items that can’t be composted at home. You can now put them in your lime green-lid FOGO bin.
These include meat scraps and bones, dairy products, eggs, bread, grains such as rice, small amounts oil and fats, condiments, citrus peels, table scraps, weeds with seeds, and larger branches (less than 5cm in diameter).
Unfortunately, a bigger lime green-lid FOGO bin is not available at this time.
Do you have a question that hasn’t been answered?
Send us a message.
You can also come and ask questions at one of our pop-ups at: