Southern Grampians Shire Council Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) kerbside service will move to a weekly collection for residents this Spring.
From 5 September 2022, weekly collection will help residents to keep up with the quantity of spring growth and extra grass clippings that the warmer months produce in our gardens.
Southern Grampians Shire Council Mayor Bruach Colliton said the introduction of the FOGO kerbside service continues to divert food and garden waste from landfill.
"Council has been committed to finding sustainable solutions to reduce items ending up in landfill which the FOGO kerbside collection service has undoubtedly positively contributed to," said Cr Colliton.
"For the duration of Spring, we are once again offering a weekly kerbside FOGO collection to help locals not only keep up with the extra growth, but also stay on top of gardening habits to keep our region in pristine condition.
"We know a lot of our residents show immense pride in their gardens, so offering a weekly service for the spring season will go a long way to support that maintenance."
Each year in Victoria, households throw out around 250,000 tonnes worth of food which is enough food waste to fill Melbourne's Eureka Tower with stats revealing that the average Victorian household throws out approximately $2,000 worth of food each year.
"We know the FOGO bins are great for small garden cuttings and grass clippings, but they also provide us with a sustainable opportunity to dispose of those hard to compost food items including bones, eggshells, tea bags and tea leaves, seafood shells, coffee grounds as well as pet fur and pet droppings," said Cr Colliton.
"FOGO waste from Southern Grampians is transported to Camperdown where it is composted and used as a fertiliser and soil improver on farms so is a positive solution to combatting waste in our region," concluded Cr Colliton.
As well as using the FOGO service, there are a number of ways to reduce food waste from ending up in landfill including the below helpful tips.
- Planning meals, shopping smart, cooking waste-free and storing food correctly to reduce food waste and save money.
- Storing food correctly keeps it fresher for longer. You'll waste less, save money and help the environment.
- Composting kitchen waste: Composting uses the natural process of decomposition to convert organic waste matter into a nutrient-rich soil you can use in your garden. Reduce landfill, conserve resources and minimise greenhouse gases by composting your kitchen waste.
Residents can find helpful tips on how to save money, time and the planet by making the most of leftovers by visiting, www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
For a full list of FOGO friendly items and for property kerbside collection dates, visit www.sthgrampians.vic.gov.au/FOGO.
Collection services for general waste and recycling will remain as per their usual collection cycle and will not be impacted by the extra FOGO collection.
