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We upgraded our Food Organics and Garden Organics Service (FOGO) Service, so you can add food scraps to your lime green-lid organics bin. This includes raw and cooked food, as well as meat and bones.
To make the service easier to use and as convenient as possible, we supply special kitchen caddies and a year supply of compostable liners to local households. If you haven't received your kitchen caddy and education materials, please call our Customer Service on (03) 9262 6333.
If you would like to order a FOGO bin (provided you have Council bins for garbage and recycling), you can:
- Order your bin online or
- Call Customer Service on (03) 9262 6333
A FOGO kit (a kitchen caddy, liners and education materials) will be supplied with your new bin.
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FOGO Kit
Eligible households that order a bin will receive a kit, which will be delivered with your new lime green-lid organics bin. The kit will include:
- kitchen caddy – an eight litre vented container with a lid that sits on the kitchen bench or under the sink to capture and store food waste
- roll of compostable liners – to line the caddy and contain the food waste
- envelope containing information – a bin lid sticker for your outside bin, a fridge magnet and a booklet with instructions.
Find out how you will get your kitchen caddy and liners:
How to open your compostable liners and use the kitchen caddy
To use the liner, gently tear it from the roll and open it.
When separated from the roll, each individual liner is folded in half and sealed at the bottom. Therefore you need to unfold, open the liner out flat and then rub the top of the bag between your thumb and forefinger. The top of the bag will open allowing it to be placed into the kitchen caddy. Please watch this video for further instructions:
To start using the kitchen caddy, open the lid and fit the liner bag provided inside your caddy. Then roll the edges of the liner over the rim of your caddy to secure its placement.
Fill the caddy with accepted food scraps and empty it when full or every 2 to 3 days replacing liners to avoid them tearing and prevent the smell. When you are ready to empty the caddy, tie the liner up and dispose of it in the kerbside bin with the lime green lid, along with all your other garden waste.
Remember, these liners are compostable, so they will break down over time.
Recycle your food waste right
It is easy to start. Your FOGO kit includes a kitchen caddy and liners for your convenience. Some simple steps to start using the service correctly:
- Store the caddy in a convenient, spot such as the kitchen bench or under the sink.
- When it's time to recycle your food scraps:
- Line your kitchen caddy with the approved lime green compostable liner (AS 4736).
- Open the liner by rubbing gently where it says to do so and fit it inside your caddy. Secure the edges of the liner around the top of the open caddy.
- Collect and store food waste in your lined caddy.
- Empty your caddy regularly by tying up the liner and carrying it to your bin outside.
- Replace liners every 2-3 days. Avoid placing liquids and hot foods inside to prevent the liner from breaking.
- Alternatively, food scraps can be placed in loose or wrapped in newspaper or paper towel.
- Place your FOGO (lime green-lid) bin out the night before collection
- Your FOGO bin goes out fortnightly, on the alternate week to your recycling bin. Check your collection day.
Your FOGO materials are recycled into compost, so it’s important to put the right things in your bin. Incorrect items can end up in the compost, cause problems at the composting facility, damage machinery, injure workers and livestock and even result in a full truck load being rejected by the processing facility and sent to landfill.
Why we are introducing this service
The average Whitehorse garbage bin contains approximately 46% of food waste, a valuable resource sent to landfill. When organic waste is sent to landfill it rots and produces a potent greenhouse gas called methane.
Space in landfill is limited and the costs of sending waste to landfill are ever-increasing. By 2023, landfill costs are anticipated to be 30% more expensive than the FOGO service.
By using this service, your FOGO materials will be taken to BioGro’s composting facility in Dandenong South and recycled into quality mulch and compost for gardens and farms across Victoria, helping plants and your food grow!
