Victoria’s Baw Baw, South Gippsland and Wellington Shire Councils are ready to roll with a new Food Organics and Garden Organics service, which is set to dig in from this week.
Baw Baw and Wellington Shires will commence on Monday 6 July, while South Gippsland Shire will start tomorrow (1 July).
An extensive list of what can be placed in your FOGO bin has been published on each Council’s website:
- Wellington Shire Council: Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO)
- Baw Baw Shire Council: Food Organics Garden Organics
- South Gippsland Shire: Food Organics Garden Organics South Gippsland
Food and garden organics will be processed by Pinegro Products in Morwell, transforming the collected material into valuable compost and soil conditioner to support the natural environment.
Baw Baw Shire Mayor, Kate Wilson said the commencement of FOGO had been a long time coming.
“FOGO is here now, so it’s time to start thinking about what changes we can make to ensure its success and rethink how we dispose of our waste,” Mayor Wilson said.
“We know that everyone’s circumstances are different and this may feel like a big change for some in our community.
“The extension of Council’s environmental rebate, which we announced earlier this month, is one step that Council is taking to support families through this change.”
Wellington Shire Council Mayor, Cindy Madeley said it was great to see three local Council’s partnering together for such an important initiative.
“We’re really excited to be rolling out FOGO alongside our neighbouring councils,” Mayor Madeley said.
“This joint approach has allowed us to share knowledge, streamline services and deliver a stronger, more sustainable waste solution for our communities.”
South Gippsland Shire Mayor, Nathan Hersey said that while the new service would take some adjusting to, the end goal is what it’s all about.
“The new FOGO service will help to reduce waste sent to landfill and provides a way for households to manage food and garden organics,” he said.
“This change will ensure Council fulfils the state-mandated waste obligations and encourages long-term outcomes that will divert waste from landfill.”
Each Council has developed an extensive set of Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found here:
For more information on the standardised waste service, visit Standardising household recycling across Victoria | vic.gov.au.
