What goes in the FOGO bin

You can put food and garden organics into your FOGO bin either in a compostable liner, wrapped in newspaper or loose in the bin.

	Raw and cooked leftover food (meat, chicken, bones and fish)
	Fruit and vegetables
	Bread, cereal, pasta and grains
	Dairy products
	Tea leaves and coffee grounds
	Grass clippings, leaves, flowers and small garden cuttings

What does not go in the FOGO bin

	General waste
	Nappies and hygiene products
	Plastic bags
	Plastic bottles and containers
	Toiletry items (razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes etc.)
	Bricks, sand, soil and rocks
	Glass and ceramics
	Hazardous waste, including petrol, gas cylinders, paints, motor oils, garden chemicals and poisons, pool chemicals, cleaners, acids, bleaches and ammonia, medicines and flammable liquids
	Medical waste and needles

Why did the City implement FOGO?

A FOGO bin system has major impact on diverting our rubbish from landfill and a great leap towards our target of zero waste to landfill by 2028. The FOGO system aligns with the state government's best practice and supports the circular economy.

In 2020, the City submitted an application to participate in the Better Bins Plus: Go FOGO program. We were successful in receiving grant funding from the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account towards our FOGO roll-out. 

Go FOGO program is an initiative of the Government of Western Australia, delivered by the Waste Authority. The program supports local governments to provide better practice three‑bin kerbside collection systems with a separate food organics and garden organics (FOGO) service.

Better Bins Plus supports a headline commitment in Western Australia’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 (WARR) to roll out a consistent three‑bin kerbside collection system, which includes separation of FOGO from other waste categories, by all local governments in the Perth and Peel regions by 2025.

I live in an apartment/unit. How does FOGO work for me?

For people living in a unit or residential apartment complex where bins are shared, the FOGO system was rolled out to most complexes in early 2022.

Strata managers were contacted and informed of the changes and were responsible for circulating the information onto the tenants. 

Waste educational materials have been distributed to residents to help with using the 3-bin FOGO system.

For more waste education please contact your strata manager or the City's waste and recycling team.

Will the FOGO system be rolled out to businesses?

No. the FOGO waste collections are for residential properties only.

I already compost, use bokashi or have a worm farm at home. Do I need a FOGO lime green bin?

We encourage residents to continue using your compost bin, bokashi bin or worm farm. You can use your FOGO bin for items you can’t put in your home compost bin such as bones, meat and seafood and excess garden organic waste. If you use bokashi, you can put the waste material from the bokashi bin into the FOGO bin after it has fermented (if you have nowhere to bury it). 

What can I line my kitchen caddy with?

You can line your kitchen caddy with certified compostable liners, or go nude, with no lining at all!

You don’t have to use liners – you can put food scraps straight in the bin loose. If you choose to use liners, they must be certified compostable. Bags that are advertised as biodegradable, oxodegradable, partially plant-based, or made from recycled plastic are not accepted in FOGO. Households can collect 2 free packs of compostable liners each financial year from the City of Vincent Administration, 244 Vincent Street, Leederville.

If you choose to purchase additional liners, please ensure they are certified compostable and display this symbol:

How do I get my free compostable caddy liners?

Each property is entitled to 2 x free packs of liners per financial year. Please visit the City of Vincent Administration building, 244 Vincent Street, Leederville. Please bring your ID or a recent rates notice for proof of residency.

Is my caddy dishwasher safe?

Yes, your caddy can be placed in the bottom shelf of your dishwasher. Just remember to pop the lid off the caddy to avoid fading of the stamped sorting image on the top.

Can I use plastic bags for my FOGO?

No! Please don’t use plastic bags as they are our biggest contaminator.

We encourage residents to collect and use the certified compostable caddy liners provided by The City.

Ensure your compostable liners have the following symbols for Australian Standards for compostable liners.

What happens to the waste in the FOGO bin?

FOGO material is taken to a regional composting site. The material is monitored for contamination and then undergoes a combination of static and forced air composting processes.

The compost produced from FOGO material can be sold to farmers and industry, used in parks and gardens or for rehabilitating land. The potential uses for the compost will be determined by contamination levels.

How can I reduce smells, insects and pests in my FOGO bin?

To minimise odours, insects and pests, always ensure the lids on your bins are closed properly. The lime green lid FOGO bin is collected weekly, and your red lid general waste bin is collected fortnightly. Your red lid rubbish bin will be collected fortnightly. Research has shown that bin odours peak after four days and don’t get noticeably better or worse. Washing your bins out with detergent and a broom can also help to alleviate odours and pests.

Most items that cause odours can go in the FOGO bin, with a couple of exceptions, such as disposable nappies and sanitary items.

Here are some additional tips for reducing odours in your FOGO bin:

• Be sure to put your FOGO bin out every week, even if it’s not full.
• Placing food scraps in compostable caddy liners can help reduce smells.
• Layering food waste with dry materials like leaves, twigs, garden cuttings and dry lawn clippings will help absorb moisture.
• If possible, allow lawn clippings and garden cuttings to dry out to prevent moisture build up.
• Freeze particularly odorous food scraps such as seafood and meat wrapped in a compostable caddy liner, then place them in your FOGO bin the night before your scheduled collection.
• Keep your bins in the shade and ensure lids can properly close by not overfilling the bin.
• Sprinkle baking soda, vinegar or lemon juice in the bin after it has been emptied to reduce odours.

Can I put bioplastics into my FOGO bin? ie. Compostable coffee cups, biodegradable cutlery

Although some bioplastics may be marked compostable or biodegradable, they aren’t accepted in the FOGO bin. Many solid bioplastics like cutlery take longer to breakdown than the total FOGO composting process allows for (approx. 6 weeks).

Bioplastics, disposable coffee cups, takeaway cups and containers should be placed in your red lid general waste bin. Please opt for a reusable alternative like a keep cup or reusable cutlery set whenever possible.