Earth-Cycling

One of the best ways GREAT Sorts can reduce landfill is to EARTH-CYCLE food scraps and garden waste into their FOGO bin, or by composting at home.

Why FOGO?

Around 50 per cent of household waste is organic. As most greenhouse gas emissions from landfill come from decomposing organic matter, GREAT Sorts use FOGO to easily to reduce what goes in their general waste bin, tackle climate change and live more sustainably.

The FOGO bin

This is the green lid bin that accepts food waste and garden waste and is emptied weekly.

Many local governments have rolled this service out to their residents already, and many more are planning to, helping to deliver the vision that all Perth and Peel local governments offer FOGO by 2025.

So what goes in the FOGO bin?

One way to think about it is: “If it didn’t grow, or it wasn’t alive it’s not FOGO!”

All of your food scraps can go in the FOGO bin, including fruit, vegetables, bread, meat, bones and leftovers. So can grass clippings, flowers, weeds, herbs, small branches and leaves.

FOGO bin contents will be composted, so you can also put small amounts of paper and cardboard in (such as used kitchen paper towels and pizza boxes with food residue). It is essential to keep all plastic, aluminium, glass and anything labelled ‘biodegradable’ out of the FOGO bin.

Where does FOGO Go?

The contents of FOGO bins are transported to a waste composting facility where it is turned into soil conditioner or compost, which is used back in the community. 

How is FOGO different to my home compost?

Although it can differ between local government areas, most FOGO bins accept items which are not usually compatible with home composting systems, such as citrus, onions, bones, meat and seafood.

Click here to find out more about how to FOGO at home and what happens to your FOGO once it’s collected.

Don't have a FOGO bin yet?

Even if your local government area hasn’t rolled out FOGO bins yet, there are still ways you can tackle your food waste by composting at home. Your choices include traditional composting, worm farming or bokashi. Find out more in the beginners guide to home composting.

Can't compost at home?

If you don’t have the time or space to compost at home, you can still give your food waste a second chance with ShareWaste – a local collective that connects people who wish to recycle their kitchen scraps with their neighbours who are already composting. GREAT Sorts can either donate or receive organic waste to be transformed into nutrient-rich soil.