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Why do we have FOGO? 

FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. Under the previous two-bin system around half of what went into the red lid general waste bin was organic material that could have been composted instead of buried. When organics break down in landfill, they produce methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

The Western Australian Government required all councils in Perth and Peel to introduce FOGO by 2025 and has set a target for 75% of waste to be diverted from landfill by 2030. The Shire planned its FOGO transition since 2020 and Council approved the move to FOGO in August 2023 as part of its commitment to sustainability and reducing greenhouse gases.

Although many residents already compost at home or keep chickens, audits of the previous two-bin systems showed that more than 50% of general waste bins still contain compostable material. By collecting food and garden waste separately, the FOGO bin allows this material to be recovered and turned into compost instead of going to landfill.

Do other local councils have FOGO?

As of May 2026 there were 27 local governments (including the Shire) in WA with a three-bin FOGO system in place.

Why is FOGO important?

Food organics and garden organics make up a large proportion of household waste. FOGO helps divert these valuable materials from the general waste bin so they can be turned into compost and other recycled organic products. Separating food scraps and garden waste also leaves more space in the general waste bin for items that can’t be recycled or composted.

Products like compost can then be used in farms, parks, gardens and landscaping projects, returning nutrients to the soil and supporting healthy plant growth. FOGO is helping Western Australians recover valuable resources and reduce waste to landfill, supporting a more sustainable future for our communities.

Read the Waste Authority’s position statement on FOGO.

What happens to my FOGO after it’s collected?

Your food scraps and garden waste go to a licensed facility where they are turned into recycled organics, such as certified compost. The facility processes the organic material to meet Australian Standard AS 4454 for soil safety and quality.

These products are sold for use in agriculture, urban amenity uses such as landscaping or use by local governments and households.

Watch how your FOGO is turned into compost here: Where your FOGO waste goes: the journey from bin to compost

Is there a market for the compost made from my FOGO bin?

Yes, your food organics and garden organics are turned into Australian Standard certified compost at a licenced commercial facility. By keeping your FOGO bin contamination-free, you help support investment in WA’s organics recycling sector and help create quality compost.

Cleaner feedstock helps improve compost quality for farms, parks, local governments and soil rehabilitation projects. High-quality compost improves market confidence and supports investment in WA’s organics recycling sector.

How will keeping to the agreed FOGO list help make better compost?

Using your FOGO bin only for food scraps and garden waste reduces the need for resource-intensive sorting, reduces some contamination risks and improves processing efficiency to create quality FOGO-derived compost and products. This helps facilities run efficiently and supports market confidence in FOGO-derived compost.

Who decides what can go in the FOGO bin?

The WA Local Government Association (WALGA)'s Consistent Communications Collective (CCC) with representatives from local government, waste industry and State Government, maintains the “Agreed List” for FOGO inputs, along with other kerbside bins. This can be found at recycleright.wa.gov.au/a-z.

The CCC collaborates to keep the list consistent, simple and aligned with national standards.

Your local government is responsible for local kerbside collection services. Local governments and organics processors are bound by State regulations, facility licence conditions, Australian Standards and individual contractual arrangements, which determine the exact guidance for your local area.

What is the standard bin service?

The Shire's standard household bin service is the three-bin system:  

• 240 litre lime green FOGO bin collected weekly:  for food scraps and garden organics.
• 240 litre yellow recycling bin collected fortnightly: for cans, plastic, glass, paper and carboard, lids off, rinsed and loose.
• 140 litre red or dark green lidded bin collected fortnightly (alternating with recycling bin): for general rubbish items that can't be recycled or composted and will be sent to landfill.

Was there a cost for the implementation of FOGO?

The cost to transition to the FOGO system, including the provision of one FOGO bin per household, a 7 litre kitchen caddy and the upgrade of the general waste bin to a red lid bin was funded by the State Government Better Bins Plus Grant Program.

I already compost, use Bokashi or have a worm farm at home, do I need a FOGO lime-green lid bin? 

You can continue to use 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. If you use Bokashi, you can put the material from the Bokashi bin into the FOGO bin after it has composted (if you have nowhere to bury it).

You are still able to use your lime-green lid kerbside bin for garden waste, along with food waste, which will continue to be useful for residents with gardens, once the material has been composted. Worms can also be fussy eaters and often don’t like onion, citrus, and potato peel and other organic materials that can go in your FOGO bin. 

If I choose not to use the FOGO bin, can I get a rebate on my annual waste management fees or my rates? 

There are no rebates on waste management fees or rates if a resident chooses not to use the FOGO bin.

Should I be concerned if I’ve used FOGO‑derived compost on my garden?

FOGO-derived compost is sampled and tested to ensure it is completely pasteurised, free of harmful weeds or diseases, and meets strict Australian safety standards ready for use in the community. The final compost must pass rigorous quality standards before it can be supplied to farms, parks and home gardens.

The changes to what can go in FOGO bins are about improving future compost quality by reducing risk of contamination, by materials which can't be composted.

Why can’t I put pet poo in my FOGO bin?

Animal droppings, including pet poo and kitty litter, need to go in the general waste bin.

This is a precautionary measure because animal droppings can carry parasites and pathogens that may not be reliably destroyed during the composting process. Although only a small number of households previously used the FOGO bin for animal droppings, removing it completely helps make sure the compost stays clean and suitable for use in gardens, parks and farms.

Bagging animal droppings tightly helps to keep smells contained in your general waste bin.

Why can’t I put food packaging in the FOGO bin?

Kerbside FOGO bins are designed for food organics and garden organics, not packaging.

Food packaging is made from many different materials. Some look like compostable items but do not break down properly in the FOGO process. Others may contain coatings or additives that are not suitable for compost.

Some food packaging, like tins, glass jars and plastic containers, can be recycled in your yellow-lidded recycling bin. Packaging like soft plastics and soiled paper or cardboard belong in your red-lidded general waste bin.

Why does compostable packaging go in landfill and not the FOGO bin? Aren’t they compostable?

Kerbside FOGO processing systems can’t reliably distinguish between certified compostable and non-certified packaging.

Some packaging can introduce contamination from plastics, coatings and chemicals of concern. Limiting what goes into FOGO reduces the risk of contamination from products that are not compostable. For this reason, all non-recyclable packaging, including compostable cups, containers and trays, must go in the general waste bin. In the meantime, alternative pathways for compostables are being investigated.

Avoiding waste and choosing reusables wherever possible is best, while compostable alternatives are permitted as a lower‑impact option where single‑use items are still needed and reusables are not practical.

What is PFAS and why does it affect what goes in FOGO?

Per- and polyfluroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals that can be used to make some products resistant to water, grease or stains. They do not break down easily and can affect the quality of compost.

Some paper-based products and food packaging may contain PFAS, plastic coatings or other materials that are not suitable for composting. These products vary widely and can be difficult to identify during processing, so they are not accepted in FOGO.

Will my general waste bin fill up faster due to the shorter agreed FOGO list?

You may notice a small increase in what goes into your red-lidded general waste bin, and this will vary between households. Putting all food scraps and garden waste in your lime-green FOGO bin, and all recyclables in your yellow-lidded recycling bin, can maximise space in your red-lidded general waste bin, although we understand some households may find it difficult to fit everything in.

The Shire waste avoidance programs, cloth nappy rebates and reusable menstrual product rebates to help households reduce what goes into their general waste bin.

The Shire also has a Compassionate Waste Service Policy in place to support those residents who produce large amounts of medical waste and bin upgrade options available.

I care for someone who produces a lot of medical waste, can I request an additional general waste bin? 

The Shire has a Compassionate Waste Service Policy in place to support those residents who produce large amounts of medical waste. To apply please submit a Compassionate Waste Request From with supporting documentation.

What can I put in my FOGO bin? 

Why are only food scraps, garden waste and compostable caddy liners allowed?

Western Australian processors, in collaboration with local governments, are making an important adjustment to what can go in FOGO to make sorting easier and to help create cleaner compost. A shorter accepted list means less guesswork at home and helps processors produce clean, high-quality compost for farms, parks and gardens.

Certified compostable caddy liners help make it easy to collect food scraps in the kitchen, ready for disposal in the FOGO bin. These are supported in FOGO because they are specifically designed to break down during commercial composting.

What should I do with tissues, paper towels, pizza boxes or tea bags?

These items should go in your red-lidded general waste bin.

You can also choose low-waste options, such as trying reusable alternatives for tissues, paper towels and single-use takeaway containers or switching to loose-leaf tea.

Do I need to change anything about how I use my FOGO bin after July 2026?

Most households will not need to change much. Keep using your FOGO bin for food scraps and garden waste.

If you previously added compostable food or drink containers, tissues, paper towels or food-soiled cardboard to FOGO, these must now go in general waste. Clean paper and cardboard packaging can go in the yellow-lidded recycling bin.

You can keep using certified compostable caddy liners.

What should I do if I’m not sure where something goes?

Three-bin FOGO systems in Western Australia have three simple streams:

• FOGO bin (lime-green lid): food scraps, garden waste and certified compostable caddy liners
• Recycling bin (yellow lid): clean paper and cardboard, cans, plastic bottles and containers, glass bottles and jars
• General waste (red lid): soft plastics, animal droppings, nappies, soiled paper/cardboard and general rubbish

The Recycle Right website can help you find out which bin to put things in. Visit recycleright.wa.gov.au/a-z or contact your local government.

How can I reduce moisture in my FOGO bin?

Let hot food cool before placing it in the caddy. Warm or freshly cooked food releases steam, which adds moisture to your bin.

Drain excess liquids from food scraps before disposal, where possible. Empty your kitchen caddy regularly and keep your outside bin clean, dry and in the shade.

A light sprinkle of bicarb soda in your caddy or bin liner can help absorb moisture and reduce smells. Adding dry leaves to your outdoor bin can also help soak up excess liquid. Freezing wet or high moisture scraps and placing them in the bin just before collection is another effective way to reduce moisture and odour, especially during warm weather.

How can I reduce odours in my household bins?

A few small changes can help reduce household bin odours, including in hot weather. Bag and tie items such as nappies, animal droppings and hygiene products before placing them in the general waste bin, and store bins in a shaded area where possible.

Empty your kitchen caddy regularly, keep your outdoor bins clean and dry, and place wet food scraps in the FOGO bin as close as practical to collection day.

For more practical tips, you can refer to the Managing Odours Informational flyer.

How do I use my kitchen caddy? 

The kitchen caddy is a small countertop style bin with a lid and handle, designed to be kept on your kitchen bench for collecting your food scraps. 

To use your caddy, insert a provided compostable liner and start collecting your kitchen scraps such as vegetable peels, meat scraps, eggshells etc. After 2-3 days, or once the liner is full, tie a knot in the top to seal it and transfer the liner and its contents into your FOGO kerbside bin (lime-green lid). Put out the FOGO bin for weekly collection on your normal bin day. Using a compostable liner will reduce the need to wash the caddy and reduce odours. You can place your garden waste directly into the lime-green lid kerbside bin, along with your food waste. 

Can I line my kitchen caddy with newspaper or paper towels?

No. Newspaper, paper towels and other paper products are no longer accepted in FOGO. Some paper and cardboard products may contain PFAS and other chemicals. To help keep FOGO clean, paper and cardboard products are no longer accepted.

If you want to line your caddy, use certified compostable caddy liners with the AS 4736 seedling logo. These are accepted in FOGO because they are designed to specifically help households collect food scraps and have been assessed as suitable for use in FOGO systems.

What do I do once my compostable caddy liners run out?

Every 12 months you are eligible for two more rolls of liners free of charge on proof of residency. Effective 1 July 2025, year-round collections are available.

Please remember to bring your Community Recycling Centre Pass with you when collecting from one of the following venues:

• Mundaring Community Recycling Facility, Coppin Road, Mundaring
• Chidlow Community Recycling Facility, Mathieson Road, Chidlow
• Shire Administration Centre – 7000 Great Eastern Highway, Mundaring Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm.

Check Community Recycling Centre opening hours.

You can also purchase your own compostable liners from supermarkets – please note the bags must be certified compostable (AS 4736). Look for the compostable logo!

Can I use a plastic bag, or bags marked 'degradable' or 'biodegradable' to line my kitchen caddy? 

No. Plastic bags, including degradable and biodegradable bags, will contaminate the FOGO bin, as they are not compostable - they are essentially plastics that decompose faster than a traditional plastic bag but eventually break down into microplastics (very small pieces of plastic) that can pollute the environment. 

Instead, place only bags marked as certified compostable caddy liners with the AS 4736 seedling logo, in your lime-green lid FOGO bin. Or as an alternative, you can place food waste directly into the FOGO bin.

Why does the information on my bin lid or kitchen caddy show different information?

You might notice that information on your bin lid, kitchen caddy or older materials looks different to what you see online or in newer guides. This is because advice has been updated over time.

Some older bin stickers were created using earlier advice, while newer guides reflect the current, simpler FOGO guidance designed to reduce contamination and create cleaner compost.