Penrith City Council is helping local businesses prepare for major food waste reform through a new program designed to support the transition to food organics recycling.
With the NSW Government's FOGO business mandates commencing in July 2026 for relevant businesses, Council has launched the FOGO in Business program. This is an initiative funded by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to support businesses in understanding and meeting the new requirements.
The mandate requires larger businesses and institutions that generate significant amounts of waste to separate food organics from general waste and arrange a FOGO collection service.
Penrith Mayor Todd Carney said Penrith is a leader in sustainable waste management and resource recovery and was the first metropolitan council to introduce FOGO in 2009.
"Penrith has a strong track record of delivering innovative resource recovery sustainability programs that help protect our environment while supporting our local community and economy," Mayor Carney said.
"The new FOGO business mandates requirements present a significant opportunity for businesses to reduce food waste, improve operational efficiency and contribute to a more sustainable future.
"Council is committed to making this transition as easy as possible and we're encouraging local businesses to take advantage of the free support available through our FOGO in Business program."
The free program businesses includes:
- In-person and online educational workshops
- Free on-site waste assessments
- Tailored waste management advice
- Practical action plans to identify resource recovery and cost-saving opportunities
- Ongoing support from Council waste specialists
Businesses interested in learning more about the program, can register for our upcoming workshops or request a free on-site waste assessment. Contact Council at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit penrith.city/fogoinbusinesses for more information.
To learn about the NSW FOGO business mandates, visit the NSW EPA website.
Brought to you by the NSW Government through the NSW Environment Protection Authority.
