Welcome to our FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) FAQ page! Here, you'll find answers to common questions about our new FOGO service, designed to help you manage your household waste more sustainably and effectively.
FOGO stands for Food Organics, Garden Organics and refers to the weekly collection of food scraps and garden organics which is turned into compost, soil conditioner and/or mulch.
FOGO is part of the statewide 'Better Bins' initiative as part of the State Waste Strategy, which aims to reduce waste through a multi-pronged circular approach including strategies to:
"If it didn't live or grow, it's not FOGO!"
As our population grows, so does the amount of waste we generate. This a problem we need to tackle.
The WA State Government requires all local governments in Perth and Peel to move to FOGO by 2025. The City's adoption of FOGO is part of our ongoing commitment to reduce waste and reduce greenhouse gases. Click here to view the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030.
FOGO has already been successfully introduced in several local government areas and others are joining this sustainability initiative.
The FOGO bin service will divert a significant amount of organic waste from landfill, which will then be recycled into compost. The rollout of FOGO was supported by the Government of Western Australia and the Waste Authority through the Better Bins program as well as the Better Bins Plus: GO FOGO Program.
Organic waste is a problem in landfill as it produces methane, a harmful greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Turning it into compost reduces the impact on the environment and allows waste to become a usable product.
Existing landfill sites are also nearing capacity and creating new sites can cause significant detrimental effects through land clearing, loss of habitat for local wildlife, and potential groundwater and soil contamination from the leaching of heavy metals and chemicals.
The Western Australian State Government have set targets for 75% of waste diverted from landfill by 2030. The new three-Bin kerbside system incorporating the FOGO bin will help us achieve these targets.
Those that already had a two-bin kerbside collection with wheelie bins, such as single houses, grouped dwellings or villas, multi-unit developments (MUDs) moved to FOGO in September/October 2024.
Commercial properties that currently receive a waste service with the City won't receive FOGO.
If you have recently moved in, check there is a kitchen caddy and set of liners left behind - if not, contact us.
The kitchen caddy has a 7L capacity and the liners are 8L. Line the caddy with the liners - or you don't have to use the liners, you can use the caddy as it is.
However full, please place your FOGO bin out for weekly collection on your usual day.
This is a question that’s asked a lot, and the main reason is the significant costs that would have to be passed on to Ratepayers through the Waste Services Charge annually.
Council was successful in receiving over $1Million in funding to assist with the FOGO 3-bin rollout and it was linked to Council introducing a smaller 140L red-lidded general waste bin collected fortnightly, this would have to be re-paid.
As well, the City’s waste contractor advises that to move to a weekly general waste bin collection they would need to dedicate an additional 2 ½ trucks permanently to the contract and they would need at least 12 months lead-time to source these new trucks and staff etc., this cost is also substantial.
Already the Community has really embraced FOGO by reducing significantly the 20,000 tonnes of waste that annually went to landfill pre-FOGO and we are now on track for it to be as low as 8,000 tonnes this year. The cost to process FOGO is significantly cheaper than the ever-increasing cost of landfill (which includes the State Governments Landfill levy that increases each July). Reversing this positive trend and not separating our waste would have a big impact because the incentive to do the right thing is removed and the City would have to pass on the additional cost to landfill greater volumes of general waste, this is by far the greatest imposition to move to weekly collections.
However, the City understands that in some instances i.e. large families, medical conditions, illness, babies etc. that the FOGO introduction may have been difficult and disruptive, with some households requiring additional volume, the City has put in place the following options to assist.
The City does offer ratepayers the opportunity to pay for additional bins (rates as per 2024/2025 fees and charges):
Consequently, Council has resolved that the City investigate and present back on options in which it may be able to change the system (whilst upholding our funding conditions & contractual terms), Officers have been investigating such options, reviewing other Councils experiences, looking for options that do not have a big impost on ratepayers, by looking at ways to define indicative costs and provide more cost certainty without imposing significant costs on all City of Kalamunda ratepayers.
If you find that you’re having difficulty managing your waste, please see the links to the fact sheets to assist you or contact us on 9257 9999 to speak directly with a Waste Educator.
Your FOGO bin is for food organics, garden organics and certified compostable caddy liners only.
✓ Food organics include food scraps such as fruit and vegetable scraps, meat scraps, seafood, bread, dairy, eggshells, loose tea leaves and coffee grounds, and plate scrapings, and out-of-date food (unpackaged).
✓ Garden organics include garden waste such as grass clippings, plant cuttings, leaves, flowers, weeds, small branches and twigs.
✓Certified compostable caddy liners can be used to collect food scraps. You can use council-supplied liners, supermarket fruit and veg produce bags with the logo or purchase your own certified compostable bags. Make sure you look for AS4736 and the seedling logo like below.
A general ‘rule of thumb’ is that you will always be putting two bins out. FOGO will go out every week and your general waste and recycling bin will alternate.
When your new kitchen caddy is delivered, inside it will be the Waste & Recycling Guide with the map and calendar to assist with working out whether you are to put your general waste or recycling bin out with your FOGO bin.
Note: there will now be two calendars, depending on whether you are recycling area one or two.
Lime-green lidded FOGO bin (WEEKLY):
All food organics including:
The contents of this bin will be composted so it’s important to keep plastic and glass out of this bin.
All food waste is to go into your FOGO bin either in a compostable liner or as it is. Please make sure all food packaging is removed and placed in the correct bin, as any plastic/foam packaging will contaminate the end product.
Biodegradable or any other plastic bags/liners are not to go into your FOGO bin. Only compostable liners are to be used as they will break down naturally in the composting process.
Yellow lidded recycling bin (FORTNIGHTLY):
Recyclable materials including:
All items should be clean, dry and empty with lids removed and placed in the bin loosely.
The following items should NOT be placed into your yellow-lidded recycling bin:
Red-lidded general waste bin (FORTNIGHTLY):
General rubbish items that cannot be composted or recycled, such as:
The following items should NOT be placed into your red-lidded general waste bin:
For a full A-Z list of what goes in what bin, visit Waste and Recycling Options A-Z in the Waste and Recycling Guide
No. They should all be placed in the general waste bin. Emptying the poo down the toilet and securing the nappy in a plastic bag will minimise odours.
Research has shown that nappies smell progressively worse for four days then do not smell any worse (or better) after that. So, a rubbish bin with nappies in it smells no worse after 14 days than it does after 7 days.
There are some simple measures you can take to minimise odour:
If you are finding that your personal circumstances are resulting in your general waste bin being overfull, please contact us on 9257 9999 or email fogo@kalamunda.wa.gov.au so we can help with troubleshooting.
Waste Sorted resources explaining FOGO are available in the following languages. (Click on the language to access the resource).
The WA Local Government Association (WALGA)'s Consistent Communications Collective (CCC) with representatives from local government, waste industry and State Government, and maintains the “Agreed List” for FOGO inputs, along with other kerbside bins. This can be found 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.
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.
You can also use your kitchen caddy without a liner and rinse it out after emptying food scraps into your FOGO bin.
If you do use bags, they must be compostable. You don’t have to use bags – you can put your food and garden organics straight in the bin.
Households were supplied with a roll of 8L compostable bags (150 pack) and a 7L kitchen caddy at the start of the service to help your household use your FOGO bin. More liners are available at the Walliston Transfer Station, Administration Building and the Forrestfield, Kalamunda and High Wycombe Libraries - they are available to purchase at cost price. See our fees and charges page for more information.
Ensure your compostable bags have one of the following symbols for Australian Standards for compostable bags:
This means that some supermarket compostable bags that are in the fruit and vegetable section are also suitable to re-use as your caddy liner.
No! Plastic bags contaminate the compost. Degradable and biodegradable bags are not suitable for composting either – the bags need to be compostable to break down in the organics facility and not contain the chemicals found in plastic. Please make sure they have the Australian Standard for compostable bags logo (pictured below).
Biodegradable bags still contain chemicals that will contaminate the compost.
These types of plastics are soft and can easily by scrunched up into a ball. They include items such as:
These items can be placed in your red-lidded general waste bin. Cling film (cling wrap) can be placed in your red-lidded general waste bin.
If you are unsure about any other items and which bin to put it in check out Materials A-Z – Recycle Right.
The waste will be taken to our FOGO Processor who will turn the material into soil conditioner, mulch and/or compost.
Ensuring that it the FOGO waste is processed correctly and that it is distributed as compost is a priority for the City. Stay tuned for more details.
The infographic below summarises what happens to our waste:
If your bin is damaged, it will be replaced as part of the FOGO rollout. If it has been damaged since, contact our service provider, Cleanaway on 9449 3332 to discuss the matter further.
If your caddy is damaged, you can purchase a replacement at the Walliston Transfer Station, Administration Building or the Kalamunda, Forrestfield or High Wycombe libraries. See our fees and charges page for the cost.
Yes, your caddy can be placed in the bottom shelf of your dishwasher. Don’t forget to pop the lid off the caddy to avoid damaging the writing on the lid.
The FOGO bin will be collected weekly, so it shouldn’t smell more than your rubbish bin would now.
Your general waste bin will be collected fortnightly. Most things that cause smells in the bin can be put in the FOGO bin, with a couple of exceptions, such as disposable nappies.
You can use compostable bags within the kitchen caddy and you may also consider layering food waste with dry materials, like lawn clippings which may also help. Freeze particularly odorous food scraps, like seafood, and put them in the FOGO bin the night before collection.
Tips to reduce smells and insects:
If your bin hasn't arrived on the date that you expected, you may need to check your letterbox to see if a courtesy card has been left there.
Otherwise, please call Cleanaway's FOGO team on (08) 6557 6969 or email us at fogo@kalamunda.wa.gov.au.
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.
No, there will be no size or lid changes to your recycling bin and you can still recycle the same things as before.
Recycle these items:
No. Once rolled out, the 3-bin FOGO service will become the standard collection service within the City and we encourage all households to participate to the best of their ability. Under the State Government’s Waste Strategy 2030, all Councils will need to move to a three bin FOGO system by 2025.
You are welcome to contact us and discuss any concerns or restrictions that might inhibit you from fully participating in the 3-bin FOGO system. We will provide plenty of support and information to resident to assist with a smooth transition. If you have special circumstances, please contact us for further information.
No, but we audit the contents of the bins when they arrive at their respective processing facilities. We will keep you updated with our achievements!
The City is not currently offering a FOGO bin service to commercial properties in the City of Kalamunda.
Please contact us if you have any questions about your Commercial property's waste services.
Yes, there will be a change from fortnightly total collection of 720L of waste to 860L. See the table below that helps to explain the change:
No, there will be an increase in fortnightly collection from 720L to 860L. See the graphic below that demonstrates this.
There have been no changes to the skip bin allocation due to FOGO. Residents can still access skip bins, see our skip bin page for more information.
There have been no changes to transfer station visits - residents have unlimited access to the Walliston Transfer Station for green waste. Entry pass and valid ID still needs to be provided to enter.
Changes in global markets and tighter restrictions on recyclables now mean that some materials previously accepted have now been excluded to create a standard approach to recycling across WA. This will help everyone better understand what goes in what bin regardless of what area you live in. The aim of these changes is to reduce contamination and create cleaner recyclables for processing.
There are three main changes to what you can now put into your recycling yellow-lidded bin. Aerosols, soft plastics and meat trays are no longer to be placed in the yellow-lidded bin.
You’ll be doing a great thing for the environment. Plus, over time, you will save money. In future, waste will cost a lot more as taxes on landfill increase so by diverting organic waste from landfill, it won’t cost the City as much, saving you money in the long term.
Yes, pet poo/animal droppings and organic waste (for example hay from cleaning out your rabbit hutch) can be put in your lime green-lid FOGO bin. If putting dog poo in the bin, please ensure you have used a compostable bin bag.
Kitty litter cannot go in the FOGO bin.
This message could potentially change in the future so please refer to Recycle Right's A-Z for the 3-bin system for up-to-date answers.
Your FOGO bin can help you with the items that you don’t put in your compost such as weed seeds, excess lawn clippings and leaves, meat, bones and dairy products. Some people don’t like to put eggshells in their compost as they take a long time to break down.
Compost heaps need the right blend of ‘green’ and ‘brown’ materials so if you’ve got excess of one type, you can add it to the green bin, knowing that it will still be composted.
You can also use your FOGO bin for green waste such as leaves, branches, honkey nuts, gum leaves and garden materials. Branches that are too thick for the compost heap can also be put in the organics bin.
Worms do not usually like onions, citrus, eggshells and potato peels or too much bread. You can put the things they don’t like in the organics bin. Feel free to continue burying your organic waste as it is great for adding nutrients to the soil. If there are some things that you do not bury, they can be put in the FOGO bin.
Chickens are great at turning organic matter into fertilizer. There are some things that chickens won’t eat so they can be put in the FOGO bin.
You will still only be placing two bins out on your verge for collection each week. Each week you will place your FOGO bin on the verge and the general waste and recycling bin will be put out on alternate weeks.
The only time you will put three bins out is in the week of Christmas and New Year, as we will be providing an extra collection service over the two weeks.
The new general waste bin is a slightly smaller 140 litre size with an additional footprint of approximately 50cm. If you are still struggling with space on your property, please contact us.
Please ensure you separate organic food waste and place it in the FOGO bin and separate recyclable items and place them in the recycle bin or recycle them appropriately. Containers for Change accept a range of beverage containers.
Refer to our Household Hazardous Waste page to view where residents can drop household hazardous waste, e-waste and bulk waste.
If you have tried the new system and are having issues with the amount of general waste going into your bin, please contact us.
Make the most of your general waste bin with these helpful tips:
1. Know what belongs in the general waste bin
2. Be mindful of packaging
3. Organise your waste
4. Monitor your bin use
5. Use resources available
If you have special needs, please contact us so we can assist you.
You can order another kitchen caddy and/or pack of liners. You can also purchase an additional FOGO bin if you find you have a lot of food organics and garden organics - see our Fees & Charges page for pricing.
Kitchen caddies and liners are available at:
You can also purchase kitchen caddy liners (at cost) at the above locations if you have run out.
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.
Check with your local government to see where you can find FOGO-derived compost for your home garden.
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.
If you compost at home, make sure any certified compostable products meet the Australian home composting standard (AS 5810) and display the home compost logo or certification number.
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.