Make the most of FOGO

New to FOGO? Information to help you make the most of your food organics, garden organics collection service

Colin with FOGO bin and leaves
What is FOGO?

FOGO stands for Food Organics Garden Organics and a FOGO bin allows you to sort your organic food and garden waste from your general waste, including fruit and vegetable scraps, meat and dairy products, bread, eggshells, grass, leaves, garden clippings and more!


Why is FOGO so good?

Approximately half of the waste collected by weight in Meander Valley’s kerbside bins is made up of organic food and garden waste. A further 15 percent is made up of recyclables that were put in the wrong bin. By diverting these products away from landfill we can reduce the environmental and cost impacts of waste management and improve Meander Valley’s sustainability.

When organic material is left to breakdown in landfill, it produces great volumes of greenhouse gas. By sorting organic wastes out of our general waste, we can turn these products into rich compost to improve the structure of soils, increase water retention and soil carbon.

The food and garden organic waste collected from Prospect Vale, Travellers Rest and Hadspen, will reduce the size of our landfill by up to 1,000 tonnes every year.

What happens to my FOGO?

Your FOGO will be taken to a regional composting facility at Mowbray. There, it is checked for contamination before undergoing a combination of static and air-forced composting processes. This ensures the material reaches a high temperature so weeds, seeds and pathogens are killed and the resulting composted product is safe to use on parks and gardens.


Using your kitchen caddy - no bags please

Bags of any kind are currently unable to be processed at the FOGO composting facility. Once a truckload of FOGO is unloaded, it is impossible for facility workers to open individual bags to check for contamination. Also, many so-called compostable bags or caddy liners on supermarket shelves are not truly compostable.

Make your own caddy liner

Use paper towel or newspaper to line your caddy or dry material like leaves or shredded paper to help prevent food scraps from sticking.

Click here for instructions on how to fold your own, simple newspaper caddy liner.


More information about how to use your FOGO service

More information, including a link to frequently asked questions can be found below:

FOGO - Tips and Frequently Asked Questions


How do I FOGO?

What if I put the wrong items in my FOGO bin, or I am unsure?

If you accidentally dispose of something that should not go in your FOGO bin, please carefully retrieve it and place it in the correct bin. The contents of your FOGO bin will be turned into composted material and used on parks and gardens. When contamination is placed in your FOGO bin it can spread throughout the organic material, which means it cannot be used and must be sent to landfill.

Unsure? If in doubt please leave it out or contact Council on 6393 5300 to check.