FOGO Frequently Asked Questions
What is FOGO?
- FOGO is any food and garden waste generated in the home.
- The FOGO trial will collect organic material from around 1000 selected households in Gatton and Laidley (north of the railway in both towns) and will divert this material away from landfill where it will be converted to valuable compost which can be used to improve soils.
Why is Council trialling FOGO?
- The Queensland Government has funded the trial to get data on organics management in Lockyer Valley and to see how much can be diverted from landfill.
- Food and garden organic waste is around half of your household waste stream and it’s a valuable material that can be converted to compost and used to improve soils.
- The Lockyer Valley contains prime agricultural land and returning valuable organic material to the soil is a better outcome than landfilling it where it consumes expensive landfill space and generates methane gas, a harmful greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
- Council’s Gatton Landfill is nearing capacity and when landfilling is no longer an option in the Lockyer Valley, Council will be faced with increased transport costs and gate fees to take our waste to a commercial landfill outside the region. These costs will ultimately be passed onto ratepayers so making our landfill last helps keep costs down for ratepayers.
- The Queensland Government has introduced a levy on waste sent to landfill. In coming years, this will cost Council around $1 million per year. Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill reduces this cost burden on Council and, ultimately, ratepayers.
Where will the trial occur?
- There are approximately 1000 households selected to be part of the trial – around 500 each in selected areas of Gatton and Laidley (north of the railway in each town).
- These areas were selected for several reasons including (in no order or preference) broad demographic representation, variety of dwelling types (including single and multi-unit dwellings and some food businesses).
- Participating households were advised via mail that they were selected to participate in the trial.
- Due to the huge success of the trial, Council have resolved to extend the trial for a period of 12 months (August 2023) at no cost to ratepayers.
Where will the collected FOGO material go?
What can I put in the FOGO bin?
As a rule, any waste that comes from a plant or animal can go in your FOGO bin.
The FOGO collection system accepts the following:
- All garden waste including trimmings, clippings and prunings
- Meat (including bones)
- Eggs/eggshells and dairy products
- Coffee grinds and tea leaves
- Pasta, bread, rice and cereal
- Seafood and shells
- Takeaway food and leftovers
- Vegetable and fruit scraps
- Tissues, paper towels, shredded paper
- Human/pet hair/fur
Pet waste – IMPORTANT NOTES
- animal waste can go in the FOGO bin so long as it's not bagged, or is bagged in an approved compostable bag or wrapped in newspaper or other compostable material.
- Soiled newspaper from bird cages can go in, as can kitty litter if it is marked as organic.
- Please provide your own approved compostable bags to use when walking your dogs IF you want to put the waste in the FOGO bin.
Only COMPOSTABLE bags can be used – look for the word ‘compostable’, or the compostable logo or these certifications: AS 5810, AS 4736, ASTM D6400, and EN13432.
What if I have my own compost bin, worm farm, chooks, dogs?
- The FOGO bin can complement your compost heap as it can take the things that your home compost can’t – like weed seeds, excess lawn clippings and leaves, meat, bones and dairy products.
- Compost bins 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. Branches that are too thick for the compost heap can also be put in the organics bin.
- Worms can be fussy eaters and often do not like onions, citrus, eggshells and potato peels. You can put the things they don’t like in the FOGO bin.
- Chooks are great at turning organic matter into fertilizer. There are some things that chooks won’t eat so they can be put in the FOGO bin.
What is the collection days for FOGO, General and Recycling during the trial?
FOGO Trial Collection Calendar
Where can I get regular updates on the FOGO trial progress?
Feel free to head over to Council's Engagement Hub to read regular updates and information on how many tonnes of FOGO have been diverted from landfill.