FOGO
Why should you use your FOGO bin? Food waste takes up approximately 40% of our general waste bins and landfills and, even though food and organic waste is completely compostable, it releases harmful greenhouse when breaks down without oxygen in landfill. Landfilled food waste and organics emit up to 17.5 million tonnnes of CO2 equivalent emissions per year. Separating your food and organics from your general waste is a crucial way to reduce emissions and make sure your waste is going to the right place.
Not only does using your FOGO reduce emissions, but, once it is turned into soil, it continues to nourish our local areas, improves soil health, grows better food and makes our land more drought and disease resilient. Recycling organics also saves costs and helps your council to work towards a circular economy, where resources continue to be used rather than wasted.
As of July 2026 all businesses and institutions in NSW will be expected to comply with FOGO collection services. By 2030, all households in NSW will have a FOGO bin. This legislative requirement reflects the significant environmental, social and economic benefits of organics recycling. It is easy for you to be a part of a greener future!
Who can FOGO and how?
Residents of Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama currently have access to a FOGO service. FOGO stands for Food Organics Garden Organics, and it is regularly collected as part of your green bin (FOGO bin). FOGO allows you to include your fruit and vegetable scraps, meat, and dairy scraps, out of date food, tea leaves and seafood into your green bin alongside garden waste.
To help you collect your scraps in the kitchen, councils provide FREE benchtop caddys and certified compostable caddy liners. It is important that you do not use any other ‘biodegradable’ liners or plastic liners for your FOGO bin, to not interfere with the processing of your organics once they are sent to be made into soil. Liners are also optional; you may also put your scraps directly into your FOGO bin.
What belongs in FOGO?
What Goes IN (Food & Garden)
- All Food Scraps: Raw or cooked meat, bones, seafood (shells and bones), dairy products (cheese, yoghurt, butter), bread, pasta, rice, eggshells, citrus and spoiled food (removed from packaging).
- Garden Organics: Grass clippings, leaves, flowers, weeds, small branches and prunings.
- Approved Liners: Certified compostable kitchen caddy liners that comply with Australian Standard AS 4736-2006 (look for the seedling logo).
What Stays OUT (Contaminants)
- All Plastic Bags & Soft Plastics: This includes conventional plastic bags, biodegradable bags, plastic food wraps and stickers on fruit.
- Compostable Alternatives: Compostable packaging, coffee cups, takeaway cutlery and baking paper.
- Other Organics: Pet waste (poo), cat litter, nappies, tissues and paper towels.
- General Waste: Glass, metal, plastic containers, textiles, rocks, soil, or large branches (usually over 150mm diameter).