Since July 2022, we have been accepting food scraps into the existing lime green-lid organics bin. This includes raw and cooked food, as well as meat and bones, in addition to garden organics.
Order your FOGO bin online or check out our FAQ page to answer your questions.
The impact of diverting food scraps is captured on tracking our waste reduction and recycling.
Why did we introduce this service?
Around 40% of the average Whitehorse garbage bin is made up of food waste that could be recycled through the food organics and garden organics (FOGO) service. When food waste is sent to landfill, it breaks down and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
Landfill space is limited and disposal costs continue to increase. Using the FOGO service helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill while creating a valuable resource.
Food and garden waste collected through the FOGO service is processed into compost and mulch, which is used on farms, in gardens and across landscapes throughout Victoria.
How to use your FOGO service
- Keep your kitchen caddy in a convenient location, such as on the bench or under the sink.
- Line the caddy with an approved bright green compostable liner certified to AS 4736.
- Open the liner and secure it around the top of the caddy. Refer to the video below for instructions on opening and fitting liners.
- Place accepted food and garden waste in the caddy. Check the information below to see what can and cannot go in your FOGO bin.
- Empty the caddy regularly into your lime green-lid FOGO bin by tying the liner and placing it in the bin.
- Replace liners every 2 to 3 days to help keep the caddy clean. Liners may break down more quickly in warmer weather or when holding wet food.
- To reduce odours, wrap smelly food scraps in newspaper or paper towel, or sprinkle a small amount of bicarb soda in the caddy.
- Place your FOGO bin out for collection the night before collection day.
- FOGO bins are collected fortnightly on the alternate week to your recycling bin. Check your collection day.
- Rinse and clean your caddy regularly.
What's included in your FOGO Kit?
Eligible households that order a FOGO bin will receive a starter kit delivered with their lime green-lidded FOGO bin. The kit includes:
- Kitchen caddy: an 8-litre ventilated container with a lid for collecting food scraps in your kitchen.
- Compostable liners: a roll of approved bright green liners for use in the kitchen caddy.
- Information pack: includes a fridge magnet and booklet with instructions on using the service.
Compostable liners
A roll of compostable liners is included with your kitchen caddy and should last several months. When you need more, you can collect a replacement roll from the Nunawading Customer Service Centre (subject to availability). A limit of two rolls per household applies each financial year.
You can also:
- Line your caddy with paper towel or newspaper.
- Place food scraps directly into the caddy and rinse it regularly.
- Purchase compostable liners from selected supermarkets, garden centres or online suppliers.
If purchasing your own liners, make sure they are:
- Bright green in colour, similar to the liners provided in your original kit.
- Certified compostable to Australian Standard AS 4736.
Examples of accepted liners include:
- Biotuff 8L compostable bin liners
- Compost-A-Pak 8L kitchen caddy liners
- Maze 9L slim compostable bin liners
- Awesome Pack 8L compostable bin liners
- Onya 8L compostable bin liners
- Cardia 8L compostable bin liners
- Envirostar 8L compostable liners
Keep our FOGO clean
Putting the right items in your FOGO bin helps ensure food and garden waste can be turned into quality compost and mulch.
Incorrect items can contaminate the material collected, causing problems during processing. Contamination can damage equipment, create safety risks for workers and may result in items being sent to landfill.
Check the information below to make sure only accepted items go in your FOGO bin.