From July 2026, Baw Baw Shire residents with a Council kerbside waste collection service will be able to place food scraps and garden clippings into their green bin as part of a new Food and Garden Organics (FOGO) service.
The State Government's Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021 requires all Victorian Councils to provide access to a standardised four stream household waste and recycling system, including a Food and Garden Organics service, by July 2027.
Currently, over 53 per cent of waste found in the average red general rubbish bin is made up of food and garden organics, glass recycling or mixed recycling. That means more than half of what is placed in the average household general rubbish bin could be composted or recycled.
By making the move to place food scraps in the green FOGO bin, Baw Baw Shire residents will be helping to:
- Reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill,
- Reduce EPA landfill levy, waste disposal and transportation costs,
- Create high quality compost and soil conditioner as part of a circular economy, and
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our impact on the natural environment.
Once the service is introduced, residents will be able use their green bin to dispose of food scraps and leftovers including meat, fish, raw and cooked bones as well as other items like dairy, egg, spoiled foods, citrus and onion that cannot be easily composted at home.
Households with a Council kerbside waste service will be provided with a kitchen caddy and compostable liners to help make the collection of food scraps easier.
When FOGO is introduced, residents will be required to place food scraps in their green bin. Once the service is introduced the green FOGO bin will be collected every week, and the red general rubbish bin will be collected fortnightly.
More than 20 Victorian Councils already collect general rubbish bins every two weeks. They're sending less to landfill because people put their food scraps in the FOGO bin every week.
We understand that some households may struggle with a fortnightly general rubbish service, and Council will continue to investigate further opportunities for waste diversion initiatives and supporting residents to reduce waste.
To support the introduction of FOGO services Baw Baw Shire Council has partnered with other local Councils to secure a 15-year contract for the processing of green organic waste with local business PineGro Products, based in Morwell.
PineGro is developing a new industrial composting facility in Morwell that can process and transform food and garden organics into valuable compost and soil conditioner that will return these nutrients back to the environment through use in Victorian parks, gardens and farms.
Baw Baw Shire Council is excited to join the growing list of Victorian Councils who have already introduced the new FOGO service.
Residents will be kept up to date with upcoming changes to Council kerbside waste services as the move to the new FOGO service approaches.
