City of Belmont becomes latest local government to embrace FOGO

• FOGO to be accessible to 20,000 more households following City of Belmont rollout
• Stade-wide, waste recovery through FOGO services increased from 11,000 tonnes in 2018 to more than 65,000 tonnes in 2022
• Per-household funding to local governments increased last year as part of a $20 million commitment to support FOGO rollout

City of Belmont has become the 19th local government in Western Australia to adopt the three-bin food organics and garden organics (FOGO) service.

The service - which consists of a red-lid bin for general waste, a yellow-lid bin for co-mingled recycling, and a green-lid bin for FOGO - recovers organic materials that are recycled as other products, including compost and soil conditioner.

FOGO is one of the biggest contribution local governments can make to achieving WA's material recovery targets, with waste recovery through the service increasing from 11,000 tonnes in 2018 to more than 65,000 tonnes in 2022.

Per-household funding to local governments increased last year as part of a $20 million commitment to support local governments through the 'Better Bins Plus: Go FOGO' program.

Applications for the program have been open year-round since July 2023.

City of Belmont's transition to and implementation of FOGO will be assisted with two Waste Authority grants valued at $879,270.

The city has partnered with Veolia - which manages its kerbside rubbish and recycling collections - for delivery.

Comments attributed to Environment Minister Reece Whitby:

"FOGO collection services have proven to be effective in recovering organic waste from households, with high-performing services a big contributor when it comes achieving waste recovery targets.

"Through the recovery of organic material, WA can generate valuable products, such as mulch and nutrient-rich compost, which would otherwise be lost through other disposal options.

"Householders are keen to adopt FOGO in their homes, so I encourage councils who are yet to sign up to get onboard."

Comments attributed to City of Belmont Mayor Robert Rossi:

"This initiative aligns perfectly with our commitment to creating a more sustainable community.

"A three bin FOGO system will significantly reduce waste to landfill, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and improved soil health with FOGO derived compost.

"We know that changing the way people sort their waste can take time, and we are asking our residents to help us reduce landfill, and commit to using their third FOGO bin correctly."

Comments attributed to Belmont MLA Cassie Rowe:

"The City of Belmont's commitment to rolling out FOGO waste recovery is impressive.

"Our residents care about reducing our impact on the environment, and FOGO will play an important recycling role in our community."