FOGO FAQs

Kerbside collection trucks deliver their loads of FOGO to Corio Waste Management’s depot in Moolap (Geelong). The FOGO is loaded into semi-trailers and taken to a commercial compost facility in Shepparton - Western Composting Technology.

There is a shortage of processing facilities for food waste in the Geelong region. To solve this, we are working on new local facilities including a partnership with Barwon Water and our neighbouring councils to receive and process FOGO collected from our kerbside bins at their Regional Renewable Organics Network facility at Black Rock, Connewarre.

Food scraps and garden organics can be prone to odour in high temperatures, or if the bin lid is not completely closed.

Try these tips to reduce the chance of odour: 

• Wrap particularly smelly food scraps in newspaper, or keep them in the freezer until bin night.
• Put your bin out to be emptied on each collection day, even if it’s not full.
• Make sure the bin lid closes completely.
• Mix garden organics in with food scraps.
• Keep your bin in the shade.
• Contact Council if your lid or bin body is cracked and we’ll repair or replace it for free.
• Wash out your bin occasionally.

If odour becomes an issue, sprinkle vinegar, bi-carb soda, charcoal or eucalyptus oil in your FOGO bin or kitchen caddy to absorb and dissipate smells.

The FOGO bin complements your backyard compost or worm farm because you can use it for food scraps and garden waste that don’t go in your compost or worm farm, like:

• Bones e.g. fish bones, chicken and turkey carcases 
• Branches & sticks
• Citrus (whole fruit & peels)
• Dairy eg cheese, yoghurt, cream
• Meat (raw and cooked)
• Onions and garlic
• Seafood (leftovers, heads shells and peelings)
• Weeds and weed seeds

See a list of what's accepted in your FOGO bin

No. The FOGO bin is only for food scraps and garden organics from your household.

Dead animals in your FOGO bin present a biohazard for staff working on the sorting line at the compost facility.

Small animals like birds or mice can go in your landfill bin (red lid), but cats and dogs or livestock are too big. Bury them on your property or contact a vet or knacker to help you with removal and disposal.

On average in our shire, 40% of what went into household landfill (general waste) bins was organic, and most of that organic waste was from the kitchen. When food waste ends up in landfill it creates methane, a greenhouse gas much more potent than carbon dioxide.

Having a FOGO service means you put all food waste in the green bin with your garden clippings. Then we take it to an industrial processor who will compost the organic matter.

This means less waste will be sent to landfill, and the food will be turned into a resource – compost – that will be used by farmers.

The kerbside service is designed for typical residential waste, and waste generated by rural households shouldn't differ too much from that of an urban household.

The kerbside bins should not be used for disposal of waste from a farm or agricultural business.

Residents on rural properties have a choice of whether or not to use Council's kerbside waste collection service.

If you choose to use Council's service, you must use the four bin system.

While many rural households manage most of their organics at home, Council’s FOGO service accepts items you wouldn’t put in home compost like avocado stones, spicy leftovers, onions, citrus, rotten food and more. These things should not be in the landfill bin anymore.

If you choose not to use Council's service, you will need to manage your own waste.

Ways to do this include:

• Compost your own food and garden organics on your property.
• Engage a private company to collect your waste.
• Take your waste to the transfer station yourself.