Latest news with #FOGO
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Three-bin FOGO system set for Perth suburb despite concerns
The three-bin food organics garden organics collection system will be coming to the Town of Victoria Park this year despite concerns from staff they may not be able to get the word out in time. All WA local governments were given until 2025 to transition to the FOGO system as part of the State Government's current waste strategy. Councillors voted in December 2020 to implement a garden organics collection, which would be followed by a FOGO collection. Your local paper, whenever you want it. Last month it proceeded with a tender for the supply of FOGO bins, lids, and associated materials and services. However, staff had recommended at the May 20 council meeting that the town hold off on rolling out FOGO bins until March 2026 at the latest so a report into processing capacities and capabilities could be prepared. The town's general waste is sent to Tamala Park, which does not have the capacity to process FOGO waste. A council report said there had been FOGO processing challenges, such as not enough sites that could process the waste, and a review of the Government's waste strategy could result in a less strict deadline. But the council unanimously backed mayor Karen Vernon's proposal that the town roll out the FOGO system by August and start an education campaign from June 1. Ms Vernon said the town could to enter into a short-term contract to start FOGO this year and there was no evidence FOGO material would end up in landfill. 'It is most optimal for the implementation of FOGO to commence well before the start of summer, and November is too late,' she said. 'The town has sufficient time to conduct a waste education campaign for the community and secure the delivery of those bins well before November 2025. 'Deferring implementation of FOGO this year and bringing only a status report back to council in March 2026 creates the risk that firstly the current FOGO service providers will reach their existing maximum capacity, leaving no options available to the town if no additional processing capacity develops in WA by 2026. 'Secondly, the town misses a valuable opportunity to assess the success of our community's adoption of FOGO and resolve any problems via a short-term contract before considering a longer-term arrangement.' If a bin contains hazardous waste or repeated high levels of contamination, the bin may be stickered shut and not collected. Chief operations officer Natalie Adams said there was a 'slight risk' the June 1 deadline set by the council meant the town could send out information that had not been confirmed. 'The communications team have advised they would need 10-12 weeks in preparation for a campaign on the rollout strategy,' she said. 'The waste calendar that needs to come out does require a date for us to put in. 'In order for them to roll out and say that caddies and bins are coming on a certain date, we do have to have some certainty around that.' Ms Adams said there was a correlation between the amount of education a community received before FOGO was rolled out and contamination rates. Town chief financial officer Duncan Olde said the deadline to print the town's waste calendar was getting close. 'I wouldn't say tomorrow but it's very soon we got to lock that in,' he said. Ms Vernon asked if the campaign could start with educating people about what to do with the FOGO system and then telling them the rollout date once it had been decided on. Town CEO Carl Askew said the short answer was 'no' but if the campaign was delivered in two phases — information about the delivery of bins and caddies, and then education — then 'anything is possible'. Part of the council's debate was closed to the public as it involved confidential items. City of Belmont CEO John Christie said more than 17,900 of its households had made the switch to FOGO since it was rolled out there in February 2024. 'Thanks to our community's efforts, over 4500 tonnes of organic waste have already been diverted from landfill, and we've seen an 11 per cent increase in recycling rates,' he said. 'It's a great example of what we can achieve when we work together.' Belmont staff have been checking residents' bins to ensure they are putting the right materials in their bins. Some bins have been stickered shut and residents must re-sort their rubbish out before arranging for a collection. Mr Christie said the city's preference was to work with residents to improve how they managed their household waste. 'When a bin is found to be contaminated, the city generally collects the bin and provides residents feedback on what material goes in which bin to help them sort their waste correctly in future,' he said. 'In some cases, if a bin contains hazardous waste or repeated high levels of contamination, the bin may be stickered shut and not collected. 'Before the bin can be emptied, the resident will need to remove the hazardous or contaminated materials or contact the city to discuss their options. 'This applies to all bin types and the process was in place prior to the FOGO rollout.'
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
$40m waste contract awarded
Ashburton Resource Recovery Park. PHOTO: ASHBURTON DISTRICT COUNCIL WasteCo in Christchurch has been chosen from three tenders to take over Ashburton's waste management contract. The $40 million nine-year contract will begin in September next year. It includes kerbside collection of general refuse, recycling, and a new Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service, which will be introduced to 12,300 households. WasteCo will also manage public place litter and recycling bins, event waste services, illegal dumping, and the full operation of two resource recovery parks, 13 recycling drop-off sites, and services for 21 schools across the district. It would also see a new re-use shop at Ashburton Resource Recovery Park to support waste diversion and community initiatives. WasteCo chief executive David Peterson said the contract marked a significant milestone in the company's continued national growth. 'We are excited to partner with Ashburton District Council and to work closely with the Ashburton community,' Peterson said. 'This contract allows us to deliver innovative, future-focused waste solutions that will enhance service delivery, environmental performance, and community outcomes.'' The contract would support 23 full-time employees, and necessitate nine new collection vehicles and an associated plant. Peterson said WasteCo had a strong focus on technology, innovation, and the ability to provide real-time data and performance reporting. The company would also explore solar power and invest in hybrid and electric fleet options.
West Australian
7 days ago
- General
- West Australian
FOGO final stage estimates more than 12,500 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill each year
The City of Rockingham estimates more than 12,500 tonnes of organic waste will be diverted from landfill each year with the start roll-out of its FOGO bin change. The Food Organics and Garden Organics initiative, set to begin June 30, is the final stage of the city's three bin system brought in more than eight years ago to reduce the amount of waste being dumped in landfill. Food scraps such as bread, cereal, meat and seafood – including meat bones and shells - coffee grounds, and fruit and veggies can be added to the green-lidded bin, which will be collected weekly. Ahead of the change, the council has sent households a small kitchen caddy bin and compostable liners, along with FOGO guide. City of Rockingham mayor Deb Hamblin described the service, which has already rolled out in more than 20 other local governments across WA, including Kwinana earlier this year, as a transformational change. A waste audit in 2024 found in several Rockingham suburbs, almost half of what was being put into red waste bins and headed for the dump was organic waste, such as food scraps and garden clippings. One of the other major transformations of the incoming system is that red waste bins will be emptied fortnightly instead of weekly. Yellow-lidded recycling bins will continue to be collected fortnightly. Some households' bin day may change as well. FOGO bin contents are recycled into compost materials, such as mulch and soil conditioner, and reused in parks and gardens. 'The success of FOGO relies on everyone's participation and together we can make a meaningful difference in how we manage our waste,' Ms Hamblin said.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Major change on the way for Aussie household bins - what you need to know
Perth residents will now need to 'be accountable for their wastage' with limits tightened to how much rubbish council will collect, as part of a wider push to 'go green'. General waste bins across Perth will soon be smaller and collected less frequently as part of a major shift in Western Australia 's waste management strategy. As part of the rollout, households will receive a new 240-litre green-lidded bin for food scraps, garden clippings, and select paper products. This bin will be collected weekly. Meanwhile, red lidded bins will be downsized to 140 litres and will be collected fortnightly. Yellow-lidded recycling bins will remain unchanged in size and collection frequency, continuing on a fortnightly schedule. Under the State Government's push to improve resource recovery, residents will transition to the Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) system by 2026. The WA Government has urged all local councils to implement the three-bin FOGO system by June 2026, a key target in its Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030. According to Recycle Right WA, the FOGO system is designed to boost recycling rates, cut landfill waste, and lower processing costs. By separating food and garden waste from general rubbish, the organic material can be transformed into compost, mulch, and soil conditioners. The City of Rockingham will be on of the first and is set to introduce the system by June 30 this year. In preparation, residents are receiving 'FOGO-ready kits' which include a kitchen caddy, compostable caddy liners, and a user guide. While some residents have voiced concerns about the changes, including the reduced size of general waste bins, local leaders have welcomed the initiative. Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamblin said the transition marks a significant step toward more sustainable waste practices. A council report acknowledged some residents would object to the new red-bin service. A post shared by City of Rockingham to social media has seen some furious residents leaving comments about with the change. 'Yay more bins that i have no place to put in the kitchen', said one person. 'Red bin still emptied weekly then everyone will be happy.' some one requested. Others however, were supportive of the change, citing the positives of recycling. 'So excited for this, a real challenge to be accountable for our wastage!' said someone.
West Australian
23-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Bin system in major Aussie city set to be shaken up
Red waste bins in Perth will be downsized and collected only fortnightly under a State Government push to meet resource recovery targets. Perth residents will receive a new 240L lime green-lidded bin that is collected weekly for food scraps, garden waste and some paper products. The red-lidded general waste bins will be downsized to 140L and collected fortnightly. Yellow recycle bins will remain the same size and will be collected fortnightly. The West Australian Government has asked all local councils to adopt the three-bin food organics and garden organics (FOGO) system by June 2026, which is a key milestone in its Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030. The FOGO system is designed to 'improve recovery rates, increase diversion from landfill and reduce costs of processing material,' according to Recycle Right WA, by encouraging people to separate food scraps and garden waste from their general waste. The contents from the lime green-lidded FOGO bins can then be recycled into materials, such as compost, mulch and soil conditioner, which can be re-used. The system is slated to be implemented in the City of Rockingham by June 30 2025, with residents currently receiving a 'FOGO-ready kit' including a kitchen caddy, two rolls of certified compostable caddy liners, and a guide on how to FOGO. City of Rockingham Mayor Deb Hamblin welcomed the initiative and encouraged residents to embrace the change. 'It's exciting to see the final stages of FOGO about to be rolled-out,' she said. 'With this initiative, we'll join over 20 other local governments across Western Australia, working to drastically reduce the amount of household waste sent to landfill.' The system is supported by the State Government's $20 million Better Bins Plus: Go FOGO program. FOGO is currently available to 22 local governments in the Perth, Peel and South West regions and It's expected nine more local governments in Perth will introduce FOGO by June 2026. The NSW Government has also mandated the FOGO system for all households by 2030, and in Victoria, of green-lid FOGO will be available to all households receiving a council waste service by the end of June 2027.
