WA Environment Minister Defends FOGO Bin Rule Changes Amid Backlash

The WA environment minister has defended changes to the rules about what can go in green FOGO bins, amid a community backlash and concerns they have not been clearly communicated.

FOGO stands for 'food organics, garden organics', and involves putting food scraps and garden rubbish in a green-lidded bin for composting.

The state government authority that oversees local council waste collection has changed the guidelines on what can go in the bins, eliminating previously allowed items including used pizza boxes, tea bags, paper towels and pet poo.

The rules have been updated so only unpackaged food waste, garden waste and certified compostable bin liners can go in FOGO bins.

But the updated rules were quietly published on the Waste Authority WA website on July 10 and have only recently started being shared by local councils on social media, prompting concerns they have not been clearly communicated.

Information printed on the bins and kitchen caddies supplied to households is now out of date.

Councils are worried the adjustments will cause confusion and consternation from residents who have been resistant to the FOGO program as it has been rolled out over the past two years, and are already unhappy about reduced general waste collection, with the collection of red-lidded general waste bins changed from weekly to fortnightly.

Changes prevent contamination: minister

Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said the changes were necessary to tackle contamination and improve the quality of compost the waste creates, which he said had been a significant problem.

"The communications are now going out to say that we're going to be more focused on what goes into your FOGO bin, to ensure that FOGO, when it's processed, can continue to be used in a circular way," he said.

"This is not a directive from the state government, this is guidance … but it also frames within what the government is prepared to support in terms of FOGO programs going forward."

Council responsible for updating advice

Mr Swinbourn rejected calls for the state government to lead a broader communication campaign, saying councils were responsible for replacing outdated stickers on FOGO bins.

"Some local governments are already undertaking FOGO collection in accordance with what these new guidelines provide," he said.

"I notice the stickers have been there for the last 15 years, so stickers on bins are a matter that's managed by local governments, and they'll make their decisions as to whether or not they want to update that guidance."

The minister also rejected calls for general waste bins to be collected weekly as they were previously.

"I don't think collecting weekly is a reasonable change; the whole better bins program is focused on changing people's behaviour, and reducing the amount of stuff that goes into their red bin, because everything that goes into your red bin goes into landfill," he said.

"Obviously one of the things about FOGO is diverting food and organic waste away from landfill, because that's where we have the most emissions occur.

"But we don't want contamination in FOGO streams, because when we get contamination that FOGO then has to go into landfill as a response to that.

"Making sure we get a good strong robust scheme is really what we're about here."