More Riverina councils will roll out updated FOGO programs in the coming year with Wagga Council being among the first to implement the new State Government changes. Photo: Wagga City Council.
Changes have been made regarding the items residents are allowed to place in their green-lid bins, also known as FOGO – food organics and garden organics bins.
Previously, items such as paper towel, cardboard, bamboo utensils, timber offcuts and tea bags were permitted in the green-lid bins, however, changes implemented by the EPA NSW (Environment Protection Authority) mean these items now must go in either the red- or yellow-lid bins.
Food and garden waste are now the only items permitted in the green-lid bins.
Gregadoo Waste Management Centre Facilities Manager Andrea Baldwin said Wagga Wagga City Council (WWCC) understood the changes might be confusing, but they were necessary to create quality compost from the organic waste material.
“Items such as cardboard, paper, timber offcuts and tea bags were previously able to go in the green-lid bins, but due to the EPA’s findings these items were contaminating the compost made from the FOGO waste; they must now go in the other bins provided,” Ms Baldwin said.
“To make it easier for our community, remember to keep food scraps, peelings, expired food and your meal leftovers, place these in your kitchen caddy, and when the container is full, tie the compostable bag and place in your green-lid bin; you can still add in your garden waste too.
“We understand this change may initially be confusing for residents who have developed habits based on what they were told when the FOGO bin system was introduced, however, we must adapt these habits to ensure the compost that is created from the FOGO waste is organic.
“The changes are effective now, which means residents are asked to start sorting their household waste accordingly.
“A reminder that compostable liners supplied by council are the only bags permitted in the green-lid bins.”
Ms Baldwin said that as part of the contract with the waste management group JJ Recycling, trucks disposing the contents of the green-lid bins had cameras that could identify what was inside once a bin was lifted and could report to WWCC addresses that were not compliant with the regulations.
“All of their trucks, so as they lift a bin, they can look at the contents of the bins,” she said.
“So it takes photos of the items that are in the bins, and then when the driver can actually view that footage. If he sees the wrong items in the bin, he can press a button on his screen that flags that there’s a contamination, then that generates information back to the council, who then generate a letter to the actual resident.
“If you continually contaminate that bin, and let’s say it’s done three times, then you actually will be contacted and the bin may potentially be removed.
“There’s no penalty or fine. What happens is, if we get to the stage where we take the bin away, residents will continue to pay the waste management fee as part of their residential rates but they will have to dispose of their waste themselves.”
Ms Baldwin said that while the new rules had been implemented already, WWCC would be allowing a leeway period until the beginning of April to give residents time to adjust to the changes.
Items permitted in the green-lid bin:
– Fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy products, baked goods
– Loose tea leaves and coffee grounds
– Shellfish shells, eggshells and bones
– Garden waste – tree and grass clippings
– Small amounts of soil, fallen leaves.
Items no longer permitted in the green-lid bin:
– Cardboard and paper that is clean goes in the yellow-lid bin
– Cardboard and paper that is soiled with food and oil goes in the red-lid bin
– Single-use utensils go in the red-lid bin (unless recyclable)
– Pet waste, kitty litter, fur, hair, feathers, and vacuum cleaner dust go in the red-lid bin
– Tea bags go in the red-lid bin (loose tea leaves can go in the green-lid bin)
– Treated timber offcuts go in the red-lid bin in small amounts (large amounts must be taken to a waste management centre).
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