FOGO bin (lime-green lid)
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.
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
Ash (cold)
Baked goods e.g. cakes, biscuits, desserts
Bones (but not large dog bones)
Bread
Butter & margarine
Cakes
Cereals and grains
Cheese
Chicken, turkey & duck carcases (raw & cooked)
Chocolate
Citrus peelings
Coffee grounds
Compostable bags (only bags supplied, or approved by Council - see below)
Dairy products e.g. ice cream, cheese, yoghurt
Eggs & egg shells
Expired foods (remove all packaging first)
Fire ash (cold)
Fish bones
Food scraps
Fruit peelings
Garlic
Hair: human & pet
Leftovers
Meat (raw & cooked)
Nuts & seeds
Onions raw & cooked)
Out-of-date food (remove all packaging)
Pasta
Pet food
Plate scrapings
Rice
Salads & dressings
Seafood e.g. crab, prawns, lobster, crayfish, oyster shells, peelings
Takeaway food leftovers
Tea leaves
Vegetable peelings
Yoghurt
FROM THE GARDEN
Agapanthus (incl flowers, seeds, stems and roots)
Branches (small branches only - up to 10cm diameter)
Flowers
Grass clippings
Lawn clippings
Leaves
Plants
Prunings & cuttings
Thorny branches
Twigs & sticks
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?
Where can I get more compostable bags?
Pick up a free roll of AS 4736-certified compostable bags (one roll per household) from these locations:
- Anglesea Transfer Station, 50 Coalmine Road, Anglesea
Open daily 9am to 4pm (closed Christmas Day)
- Lorne Transfer Station, 370 Erskine Road, Lorne
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 9am to 12pm
Sunday 2pm to 5pm
- Lorne Visitor Information Centre, 15 Mountjoy Parade, Lorne
Open daily 9am-5pm (closed Christmas Day)
- Winchelsea Transfer Station, 55 Cressy Road, Winchelsea
Tuesday, Thursday 2pm to 4pm
Saturday, 1.30 to 3.30pm
Sunday, 9.30am to 12.30pm
- Torquay - Council office, 1 Merrijig Drive, Torquay
Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm.
- Torquay residential waste and recycling drop-off
130 Messmate Road, Torquay
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday, 8am to 12pm
8am to 12pm on public holidays (closed Christmas Day)
The compostable bags have a shelf life of around 12 months, so we don't recommend stocking up on multiple rolls.
Keep your FOGO bin under 70kg
Kerbside bins must not weigh more than 70kg when full. Heavy bins may not be emptied by the collection truck.
If your bin is too heavy for the truck to lift, you will need to remove some contents before the bin can be emptied.
Can I get a smaller or extra FOGO bin?
If the standard size FOGO bin (240-litres) does not meet your household's needs, you can request an extra bin.
Apply for an extra FOGO bin (annual fees apply)
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 with a lid can be used to collect food waste, or you can buy a kitchen caddy for $11 from these locations:
- Anglesea Transfer Station
50 Coalmine Road
Open daily 9am to 4pm (closed Christmas Day)
- Lorne Transfer Station
370 Erskine Road
9am to 12pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
2pm to 5pm Sundays
- Winchelsea Transfer Station
55 Cressy Road
2pm to 4pm Tuesday, Thursday
1.30pm to 3.30pm Saturday
9.30am to 12.30pm Sunday
- Council office - Torquay
1 Merrijig Drive
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. Compostable bags are optional
Using a compostable bag inside your kitchen benchtop caddy is optional.
Food waste can go straight into your kerbside FOGO bin loose (without a bag). Food and green waste are composted together, so it doesn't matter if they mix in the bin.
A sheet of paper towel in the bottom of the caddy, or a quick rinse after emptying will help keep it clean.
3. Only use 100%-certified compostable bags
Only use AS 4736-certified compostable bags made from corn starch for collecting food waste. These bags fully break down during composting and won't contaminate the FOGO stream.
To avoid contamination in FOGO, use the compostable bags supplied by Council, available from transfer stations and other Council facilities (see Where can I get more compostable bags? above).
Even compostable bags require resources to produce and transport, so minimise their use where possible.
Unapproved bags
The following bags are not approved because they either contain plastic or did not fully break down during composting trials:
Do not use plastic bags or bags labelled degradable, biodegradable, or less than 100% corn starch. These bags do not fully decompose and can contaminate the FOGO material and compost produced.
4. I already compost or have a worm farm. Why do I need a FOGO bin?
The FOGO bin complements your backyard compost or worm farm by accepting food scraps and green waste that are not suitable for home composting, including:
- Bones e.g. fish bones, chicken and turkey carcases
- Branches & sticks
- Citrus (whole fruit & peels)
- Dairy e.g. cheese, yoghurt, cream
- Meat (raw and cooked)
- Onions and garlic
- Seafood (leftovers, heads shells and peelings)
- Weeds and weed seeds
5. How do I stop my FOGO bin getting smelly?
Food waste and green waste can be prone to odour during 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 green waste in with food scraps.
- Keep your bin in the shade inside your yard.
- Contact Council if your lid or bin body is cracked and we’ll repair or replace it at no charge.
- 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.
6. Can we include dead animals?
No. Your FOGO bin is only for household food waste and green waste.
Dead animals are not accepted because they pose a biohazard risk to staff at the compost facility.
Small animals such as birds or mice can go in your landfill bin (red lid). Larger animals, including cats, dogs and livestock, should be buried on your property or disposed of through a vet or knacker.