FOGO bin (lime-green lid)

Organics bin

All food scraps and leftovers go in this bin along with your lawn clippings, leaves, prunings and small branches. This is called a FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) collection.

Your FOGO bin is collected weekly in urban areas, and fortnightly in rural areas.

The food scraps and garden organics collected in your FOGO bin are composted at a commercial facility in Shepparton. The compost is spread on farms and orchards to improve the soils that grow our food.

When organic material is not composted and is sent to landfill instead, it adds pressure on our limited landfill space and causes methane – a harmful greenhouse gas – to build up in our environment.

What's accepted in my FOGO bin?

In accordance with Council's waste strategies, the following items are accepted in your FOGO bin:

FROM THE KITCHEN

Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Ash (cold)
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Baked goods e.g. cakes, biscuits, deserts
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Bones (but not large dog bones)
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Bread
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Butter & margarine
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Cakes
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Cereals and grains
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Cheese
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Chicken, turkey & duck carcases (raw & cooked)
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Chocolate
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Citrus peelings
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Coffee grounds
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg C
ompostable bags (only bags supplied, or approved by Council)
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Dairy products e.g. ice cream, cheese, yoghurt
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Eggs & egg shells
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Expired foods (remove all packaging first)
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Fire ash (cold)
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Fish bones
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Food scraps
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Fruit peelings
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Garlic
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Hair: human & pet
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Leftovers
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Meat (raw & cooked)
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Nuts & seeds
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Onions raw & cooked)
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Out-of-date food (remove all packaging)
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Pasta
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Pet food
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Plate scrapings
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Rice
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Salads & dressings
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Seafood e.g. crab, prawns, lobster, crayfish, oyster shells, peelings
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Takeaway food leftovers
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Tea leaves
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Vegetable peelings
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Yoghurt

FROM THE GARDEN

Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Agapanthus (incl flowers, seeds, stems and roots)
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Branches (small branches only - up to 10cm diameter)
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Flowers
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Grass clippings
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Lawn clippings
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Leaves
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Plants
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Prunings & cuttings
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Thorny branches
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Twigs & sticks
Tick-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Weeds and weed seeds

If you can't find your item above, search the A-Z guide.

Still can't find your item?

Contact us now for advice

What's not accepted in my FOGO bin?

Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Bags of household rubbish
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Baking paper
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Bamboo cutlery
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Batteries
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Biodegradable or degradable bags
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Branches over 10cm diameter & longer than 40cm
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Bricks & concrete
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Cardboard
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Cigarette butts
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Cling wrap
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Clothing
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg 
Compostable coffee cups
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg 
Compostable food packaging
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg 
Dirt, sand or soil
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Dog bones (large)
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg 
Fabric
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg 
Food packaging
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg 
Garden tools & hoses
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg 
Household rubbish
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg 
Kitty litter
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg 
Logs
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg 
Painted timber
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Palm fronds
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Paper towel
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Pet Poo eg dog, cat etc
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Plant pots (plastic or ceramic)
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Plastic bags e.g. fertiliser, potting mix etc.
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Plant identification tags
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Plant stakes
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Shredded paper
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Skewers
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg String or twine
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Stones, rocks or rubble
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Tea bags
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Tissues
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Toilet rolls
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Treated timber
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Tree stumps
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Wet wipes
Cross-symbol-thumbnail.jpeg Wooden furniture

If you can't find your item above, search the A-Z guide.

Still can't find your item?

Contact us now for advice

Can I get a smaller, larger or extra FOGO bin?

If the standard size FOGO bin (240-litres) does not meet your household's needs, you can request an extra or larger bin.

Apply for an extra FOGO bin (annual fees apply)

Exchange your bin for a larger FOGO bin (once-off fee)

If you don't have a garden and will only be putting food scraps in your FOGO bin, you can request a smaller bin (140-litres). There is no cost to downsize. Contact Council to request a smaller bin.

Changing to a smaller bin does not reduce the annual charges included on your rates notice.


FOGO Tips

1. Keep a container on your benchtop to collect ALL your food scraps.

 Any bowl or container will do, or you can buy a kitchen caddy from Council for $11 at:

  • the Council office in Torquay, 1 Merrijig Drive (open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm)

TIP: Empty your caddy into the kerbside FOGO bin (lime-green lid) every 2-3 days to stop any smells. A quick rinse, or wipe with a sheet of paper towel will also help.

2. Line your caddy with a sheet of paper towel

Using a compostable bag inside your caddy is optional. A sheet of paper towel in the bottom of the caddy, or a quick rinse after emptying will work just as well.

Rolls of compostable bags (one roll per household) are available for free pick-up from transfer stations and some Council facilities. The bags have a shelf life of around 12 months, so stocking up with multiple rolls is not recommended.

TIP: Food scraps can go in your kerbside FOGO bin loose (not in a bag). The food scraps and garden waste are not separated before the composting process, so it doesn’t matter if they get mixed up in the bin.

3. Liners are option, but if you use them they must be 100% certified compostable corn-starch

Only 100% certified compostable corn-starch bags should be used to collect food because they won’t contaminate your FOGO bin, and will fully decompose.

To avoid contaminating the FOGO stream, use the bags supplied by Council and available from transfer stations and other Council facilities.

Even though these bags are compostable, there are resources involved to produce and transport them, so minimise their use when you can.

The following brands are NOT APPROVED because they did not fully break down during testing at the compost facility, or they contain plastic:

DO NOT use plastic bags, or bags labelled as degradable, biodegradable, or less than 100% corn starch. They do not fully decompose and can contaminate the contents of your FOGO bin and the mulch produced.

FAQs about the caddies and bags

FAQs about your FOGO bin