Bull Creek residents Jenny and Graham Lambert are taking part in the City of Melville’s FOGO trial.
Camera IconBull Creek residents Jenny and Graham Lambert are taking part in the City of Melville’s FOGO trial. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

City of Melville’s Food Organics Garden Organics trial proves massive success

Bryce LuffMelville Gazette

A WASTE trial run in the City of Melville since October is surpassing targets set by the State Government.

About 7000 Melville households are taking part in the three-bin Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) trial which offers residents more ways to separate household waste at the source, leading to less rubbish in landfill.

More than six months in and Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC) said the 7000 households involved in the $750,000, 12-month experiment were doing well.

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“So far we’ve diverted more than 66.5 per cent of all household waste from landfill across the whole trial area, achieving above the State Government target of 65 per cent by 2020,” an SMRC spokesman said.

In January, it was announced an SMRC waste education officers would audit homes in the trial area, with feedback provided in the form of tags attached to bin handles.

The spokesman said it led to a marked improvement, with correct use of the FOGO bin increasing by 16 per cent, recycling by 9 per cent and general waste by 20 per cent.

The contents of the food and garden organics bin is collected weekly and is taken to the Canning Vale-based Regional Resource Recovery Centre before being processed into compost.

The yearlong trial is running in parts of Bicton, Willagee, Mt Pleasant, Brentwood and Bull Creek, with homes receiving a new 240-litre lime green-lidded FOGO bin for their food and garden waste.

The dark green general waste bin was replaced with a 140 litre red lidded bin for rubbish that cannot be composted, including nappies and plastic bags.

The yellow recycling bin has remained and is collected on alternate weeks to the red-top bin.

Citywide implementation will be considered depending on results.

The City of Fremantle Town of East Fremantle are both weighing up introducing the FOGO system.

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