Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO)
Future waste service changes
The NSW Government has mandated a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service to all households by 1 July 2030.
A FOGO service is where food and garden waste are collected together in the green lidded bin and sent to a facility for composting. FOGO services will reduce the amount of organic waste in the red lidded garbage bin, diverting resources from landfill.
This mandated service will assist the Government in achieving its state targets to halve the amount of organics waste sent to landfill and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Aligned with this mandate, we are planning to commence a new FOGO waste collection service in the next waste contracts which commence on 1 October 2027.
Under the future service, it is planned for households to receive a kitchen caddy and compostable liners to help collect and take food waste from the kitchen to the green lidded bin.
Planned service model
Council is in the early stages of planning how our waste collection services will look when our new waste contracts start on 1 October 2027.
Currently, details of the planned service model are:
- No change to the existing weekly red lidded bin
- No change to the existing fortnightly yellow lidded bin
- Green lidded bins will change from garden waste only, to food and garden waste
- Green lidded bins will change from a fortnightly to weekly collection schedule
- Properties without a green lidded bin will be provided with one e.g. rural households
More information will be released about any confirmed changes to our waste collection services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will the future green lidded Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) bin be for?
The green lidded FOGO bin will be for the disposal of food and garden waste for processing.
Material placed in the FOGO bin will be turned into high quality compost that can be used for parks, sport fields and agriculture.
When will the future Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service start?
Our current waste contracts will expire on 30 September 2027.
As part of our new waste contracts, which commence on 1 October 2027, we are planning to introduce a FOGO service for all households in line with the NSW Government mandate to provide a FOGO service to all households by 1 July 2030.
The confirmed start date of the FOGO service will be communicated when the new waste contracts have been awarded.
Who will receive the future Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service?
The NSW Government has mandated the introduction of a FOGO service to all NSW households by July 2030.
Our future FOGO service will align with this mandate, with all households having access to a green lidded FOGO bin before July 2030.
Why are we getting a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service?
The NSW Government has mandated the introduction of a FOGO service to all NSW households by July 2030.
The average red lidded garbage bin in the Hills contains approximately 45% (25 litres) food and garden organics waste by weight. By introducing a FOGO service, we will be assisting the NSW Government achieve its state goals to:
- Reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfill
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
The FOGO material collected will be turned into compost that can be used for parks, sport fields and agriculture.
Why can't the Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service be introduced earlier?
Our current waste contracts expire on 30 September 2027.
The expiry of our waste contracts provides us with the opportunity to review our current waste collection services and make changes.
We are planning to commence the new FOGO waste collection service in the next waste contracts which commence on 1 October 2027.
What can go in the future Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) bin?
You can place the following in the green lidded FOGO bin once a FOGO service is introduced in the next waste contracts which commence 1 October 2027:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Eggshells and dairy products
- Meat, bones and seafood
- Bread, cake, rice and pasta
- Loose tea leaves (no tea bags) and coffee grounds
- Grass, flowers and leaves
- Sticks, bark and branches (no longer than 1m and 75mm in diameter)
- Australian Standard AS 4736 compostable liners
Council will communicate the start date of FOGO when the new waste contracts have been awarded. Please do not place food scraps into your garden organics bin until this time.
What can’t go in the future Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) bin?
The following items can’t be placed in the future green lidded FOGO bin:
- Plastic bags, liners or wrappers
- Biodegradable bags
- Food in packaging or containers
- Tea bags
- Pet waste and kitty litter
- Paper towels and tissues
- Paper and cardboard
- Household garbage
- Bricks, rocks, dirt or soil
- Timber and building materials
- Large logs and branches
- Plant pots, garden hoses and gardening tools
- Vacuum dust and washing machine/dryer lint
Council will communicate the start date of FOGO when the new waste contracts have been awarded.
I already have a compost bin at home. What do I use the future Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) bin for?
The FOGO bin will complement existing home composting systems. You will be able to place items that you may not usually place in your home compost bin, into the FOGO bin, such as meat, bones, seafood and dairy.