Systems getting ready to FOGO

Food organics and garden organics community engagement stall at the City of Belmont’s 2024 Kidz Fest.

What is red, yellow and green but stops landfill not traffic?

You may have seen three new kerbside bins known as food organics and garden organics (FOGO) bins pull up in certain Perth locales, aimed to get Western Australians on track to reducing our environmental footprint.

However, with a smaller bin for general waste only being collected every second week and an additional bin requiring residents to put more thought into sorting their waste, just what does the FOGO system mean for the average Jane and Joe?

According to City of Belmont CEO John Christie, since the area commenced the FOGO system in February 2024, more than 4500 tonnes of organic waste have been diverted from landfill by the 17,900 households who have made the switch.

Though, currently, the FOGO system has shown to not be the one-size-fits-all model it was planned as, with several complaints about the system ranging from the smell due to fortnightly retrieval of the general waste bin to a lack of awareness around how to sort the green and yellow bins.

In fact, in April, City of Swan made the decision to hit pause on the roll out of the project to gather input from ratepayers before proceeding with an amended version.

In response to both feedback and lessons learnt from other local governments, both the cities of Fremantle and Belmont have adjusted their programs to better service their communities.

Both offer a range of practical options to support citizens such as waste education workshops and a cloth nappy subsidy.

“The City of Belmont understands some households, particularly those with young children, may find fortnightly general waste collections challenging,” Mr Christie said.

“We also offer a compassionate grounds arrangement for residents with a medical condition who generate additional waste to apply for a free 240L red-lid general waste bin.”

City of Fremantle Resource Recovery Team Leader Kelly Levisohn suggested ways to reduce the stench from lingering smells – for example, freezing seafood shells in newspaper and placing them in bins on collection day and using sodium bicarbonate or locally made scented products to both mask odours and repel pests.

Mr Christie said while FOGO itself did not directly reduce plastic pollution, it encouraged better separation of waste at the source.

“Over the 12 months following FOGO’s implementation, the City of Belmont has seen an 11 per cent increase in recycling rates, reflecting a strong shift toward better waste sorting,” he said.

According to Ms Levisohn, the introduction of FOGO has presented a great opportunity for having conversations about other waste habits like improving recycling and avoiding plastic packaged goods while shopping.

“Overall, Fremantle residents are very good at recycling but consistent education is key to helping residents use their bins correctly,” she said.

However, Mr Christie said there remained a great deal of confusion between which plastics could be recycled and what was destined for the red bin.

“To help residents get it right, we encourage the use of the Recycle Right app or website, which provide clear up-to-date guidance on what can and can’t be recycled,” he said.

As it appeared in the 2025 June 5 edition of The West Australian.