Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) Service

A FOGO service offers several benefits, primarily related to environmental sustainability and resource recovery. These benefits include reducing landfill waste, minimising methane emissions from decomposing matter and using the material to create compost.

The service will lead to cost savings for Council and ratepayers as sending less waste to landfill will mean reduced landfill fees and transport costs.

The introduction of the service will also promote community waste management education and increased recycling practices.

All properties located within designated areas across the Shire, primarily townships, will receive the FOGO service as part of their wider kerbside collection.

Properties outside of designated areas may apply to receive the kerbside collection service, subject to the approval of Council’s waste collection contractor based on factors including location, road access and adjoining properties.

Information and maps on designated areas can be found at Waste and Recycling Kerbside Collection | Glenelg Shire Council

The township kerbside collection service includes:

• General waste bin (red lid) – weekly collection
• Recycling bin (yellow lid) – fortnightly collection
• FOGO bin (lime green lid) – fortnightly collection

No. If you currently receive a residential township kerbside collection service, you cannot opt out.

Providing a food and garden organics service is mandated by the Victorian Government by 2030. Victoria is transitioning to a state‑wide approach to waste and recycling, and FOGO is considered an essential service.

The cost of the service is included within your rates as a waste service charge. Only properties which receive the kerbside collection service are required to pay.

Costs have been included within Council’s 2025-2026 Budget. This includes the costs of bins and equipment such as kitchen caddies, along with all associated costs of providing the kerbside collection service.

The overall Waste Service Charge for 2025-2026 has been set at $498.55.

The cost alone for the rollout and operation of the FOGO service in 2025-2026 is $84.00 per property, which is a component of the overall cost of the kerbside waste collection service provided.

FOGO COSTS EXPLAINED

FOGO Charge

The initial $84 charge for the FOGO Services is made up of two components:
• Bin supply – $56.40
• Three month collection and processing – $27.60

This amount covers the initial setup of the service, including the provision of the bin and the first three months of collection and processing. From the following financial year, any additional FOGO related charges will apply only to ongoing waste collection services and will not include a bin fee. This service fee will be incorporated into the annual Waste Service Charge on your rates notice.

The waste service charge for the next financial year will be confirmed once the Council budget is formally endorsed.

Properties outside designated township areas may apply to receive a kerbside FOGO service. Approval is subject to assessment by Council’s waste collection contractor, based on factors such as location, road access and proximity to adjoining properties.

A FOGO drop‑off service will continue to be available at Council transfer stations for a fee.

FOGO services are currently being rolled out to all residential properties within compulsory kerbside collection areas. Once this rollout is complete, properties that currently opt in to waste services will have the option to add a FOGO service.

FOGO is not yet available to commercial properties. However, Council plans to introduce a FOGO collection service for commercial properties in the future.

Home composting is a great sustainable option for recycling organic material. You can still compost at home and use the kerbside bin for items that may not be suitable for your home composting system such as citrus, meat and raw bones along with excess garden organics. 

No, you cannot use regular plastic, degradable, or biodegradable bin liners in a FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) caddy. Doing so contaminates the organic waste, preventing it from turning into compost.

Blackberry and Gorse are declared noxious weeds and are illegal to transport without a permit. These weeds are not accepted in the FOGO bin or at Council transfer stations.

Other declared noxious weeds include: Briar Rose, Cape Broom, English Broom, Hawthorn, Hemlock, Prickly Pear Cactus, Soursob, Spiny Broom, Spiny Rush, Thistle species and Willows.

Other (non‑noxious) weeds are accepted in the FOGO bin.

Further information is available on Council’s website:  Roadside Weeds and Pest Animal Control | Glenelg Shire Council (weeds noted in appendix)

To help reduce odours in your FOGO bin:

• Keep the bin in a shaded area
• Ensure the bin lid is closed
• Wash your kitchen caddy and bin regularly
• Place grass clippings or garden prunings at the base of the bin and layer with food scraps
• Refrigerate or freeze food scraps (wrapped in newspaper or sealed) until collection day
• Sprinkle a small amount of bicarbonate soda in the caddy or bin
• Line the kitchen caddy with newspaper or paper towel

Small acts, big impact | Sustainability Victoria

Organic material collected through the kerbside food and garden organics bin is taken to Portland Transfer Station for processing and handling, then taken on further to Camperdown Compost company. All collected organics are processed into high-quality compost.

Implementing a FOGO service will eventually lead to reduced costs for Council by diverting organic waste from landfill, which will lower waste disposal fees and potentially lead to lower overall waste management costs.

This cost reduction will not be immediate and will occur over multiple years, being dependent on the amount of reduction of waste being directed to landfill. Any reduction in waste costs will then be reflected in lower waste service costs for property owners.

The main message is, the more waste that can be diverted from landfill or recycled, the lower the waste costs will be for Council.

The FOGO service charge is included as part of your rates, returning the bin does not remove the cost.

The FOGO service is a standard, council-wide service, and the charge is applied through your rates notice—not based on bin usage.

If you return the bin or choose not to use the service, you are still required to pay the full rates amount, including the FOGO component.

Any unpaid amount will be treated as overdue rates, which may incur interest or be subject to normal council debt recovery processes.

• Food and garden organics (green lid) — 240 L
• Mixed recycling (yellow lid) — 240 L
• General rubbish (red lid) — 120 L
• Kitchen caddy — 7 L

As part of Council’s waste transition, a waste education strategy will be prepared to support community to adopt proper waste and recycling practices. This will involve information through Council’s website, social media, brochures and videos, to help residents build understanding and support waste reduction initiatives.

The State Government has set a target for all councils to provide FOGO services by 2030. Council is introducing FOGO now to prepare for this requirement and ensure a smooth transition for the community.

Rolling out the service early allows residents to get used to the system, helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill sooner, and supports better environmental outcomes. It also gives Council time to refine the service and ensure it operates effectively ahead of the 2030 deadline