From “Why Do We Need It?” To “How Can We Use It?”

Cabonne Council has received a number of questions about the upcoming Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service, particularly from residents who already compost at home and about the move to a fortnightly red bin collection.

Council recognise that many households already do a great job of composting and managing organic waste sustainably.

Home composting remains an effective way to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill and will continue to be encouraged.

The introduction of FOGO is a mandated change for councils across NSW as part of efforts to reduce organics waste sent to landfill. For households that currently receive a kerbside waste collection service, Council is required to provide a FOGO collection service.

Cabonne Council is one of the only councils in the Central West who have not yet implemented the service. They have received funding from the NSW Government to support the implementation of the service.

Residents who already compost can continue to do so and may choose to use their FOGO bin for organic materials that cannot be easily composted at home, particularly some food scraps such as seafood, dairy and bones as well as weeds.

While some households may already be successfully managing much of their organics waste, the FOGO service provides an additional way to divert waste from landfill and recover valuable resources, particularly during busy times (Easter and Christmas).

While much of the discussion has focused on why the change is being introduced, Council like to encourage residents to think about how they can use the new service. FOGO is another tool that can help households reduce waste, recycle more effectively and contribute to a more sustainable future for our community.

We’ve also received questions about the move to a fortnightly red bin collection. Experience from councils that have already introduced FOGO shows that once food and garden waste is separated into the FOGO bin, significantly less waste remains in the red landfill bin, making a fortnightly collection suitable for most households.

For more information, visit https://haveyoursay.cabonne.nsw.gov.au/food-organics-and-garden-organics-fogo