FOGO bin (lime-green lid)

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 Out-of-date food (remove all packaging)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.

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Bags of household rubbish
 Baking paper
 Bamboo cutlery
 Batteries
 Biodegradable or degradable bags
 Branches over 10cm diameter & longer than 40cm
 Bricks & concrete
 Cardboard incl boxes, packaging
 Cigarette butts
 Cling wrap
 Clothing & fabrics
 Coffee pods
 Compostable coffee cups
 Compostable food packaging
 Dirt, sand or soil
 Dog bones (large)
 Fabric
 Food packaging
 Garden tools & hoses
 Household rubbish
 Kitty litter (incl litter made from recycled paper and wood)
 Large animal carcases, entrails or remains
 Logs
 Painted timber
 Palm fronds
 Paper eg bags, office paper, wrapping
 Paper towel ie large amounts
 Pet poo/animal faeces
 Plant pots (plastic or ceramic)
 Plastic bags e.g. fertiliser, potting mix etc.
 Plant identification tags
 Plant stakes
 Reusable shopping bags
 Shredded paper
 Skewers
 String or twine
 Stones, rocks or rubble
 Tea bags
 Tissues
 Toilet rolls
 Treated timber
 Tree stumps
 Wet wipes
 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

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.

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

• the transfer stations in Anglesea Lorne or Winchelsea

• 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.

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.

Pick up a roll of compostable bags (one roll per household) at no charge from transfer stations and some Council facilities (see full list below). 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.

Only 100% certified compostable corn-starch bags should be used to collect food because they won’t contaminate the FOGO, 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:

• GLAD compostable kitchen caddy liners
• GLAD to be Green 50% plant-based bags.

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.

Pick up a roll of compostable bags (one roll per household) at no charge from:

• 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)