How the new system will work.
Camera IconHow the new system will work. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Cities of Swan and Stirling join Bassendean and Bayswater in investigating the FOGO system

Kristie LimEastern Reporter

THE Cities of Stirling and Swan have followed in the Town of Bassendean and City of Bayswater’s footsteps in investigating how they can roll-out the Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) three-bin system.

All Perth and Peel households will be required to implement FOGO by 2025, as part of the State Government’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030.

Under the three-bin FOGO system, food scraps and garden organics are separated from other waste categories and reused to create high-quality compost.

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Bassendean is committed to delivering a third bin for FOGO in the second half of 2019, while Bayswater is working with the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council (EMRC) on how it could be rolled out.

Stirling Council considered a report at the February 12 council meeting and supported a further report being formed on the best methodology to maximise waste diversion, once the future direction of the Mindarie Regional Council is established and trial results were released.

Stirling waste and fleet manager Rick Bryant said the City would like to see appropriate processed compost off-take in place before implementing the system.

“The City has an existing three-bin system,” he said.

“The City is also cognisant of existing contractual obligations and the cost impact of implementing food organic recovery.

“In planning and implementing food organics recovery, extensive waste education and marketing to support behaviour change and the resources to support it would need to be considered.”

Swan chief executive Mike Foley said the City had made an application to the State Government’s Waste Authority for funding to assist with the implementation of FOGO, expected to be rolled out in July 2021.

“We have already carried out a briefing session with the council on the three-bin system and the council will be continually briefed on the system and its introduction,” he said.

“While there will be a significant drop in the amount of material sent to landfill, there will also be an increase in collection costs because there will be three bins per household to service in place of two.”

Bassendean Mayor Renee McLennan said the strategy provided valuable direction from the State Government which was previously lacking.

“The Town is in the process of developing a community engagement strategy in advance of the FOGO bin rollout,” she said.

“A multifaceted approach will be used and will aim to educate on correct use of the organics bin as well as develop community understanding around the benefits it will deliver.”

Bayswater Mayor Dan Bull said the City was one of the first to adopt the three-bin system 20 years ago and introduced recycling services and a home composting trial to help divert more waste from landfill.

The City was waiting for the EMRC to send a reply on logistics on where waste would be sent to be sorted before a roll-out timeline could be formed.

Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said the State Government would work with local governments and the community to deliver the strategy’s waste targets.