Prep for FOGO roll-out

SMALL bins for food scraps are set to be supplied to more-than-fifty-thousand houses across the City of Ballarat before weekly kerbside food and garden organics collection begins mid-next year.

The seven-litre ‘kitchen caddy’ bins can be used to collect food scraps for the green-lidded garden organics wheelie bin.

Municipal officers are aiming to reduce food waste going to landfill through the Food Organics and Garden Organics, or FOGO, system.

“The environmental benefits will include about 10,500 tonnes of food organics set to be recycled and turned into new products, like compost,” City of Ballarat mayor, Cr Des Hudson said.

“This will reduce carbon emissions created in the Ballarat Regional Landfill by an estimated 5000 tonnes.”

When the FOGO system begins, both kerbside waste and recycling will be collected once every two weeks.

The FOGO system is expected to begin in May if contracts for a regional FOGO processor, and kitchen caddy supplier and coordinator have been awarded, and a community education campaign has been delivered.

The tender for a kitchen caddy, liner, and information pack supplier is being advertised and is expected to be awarded by spring.

Recycled-plastic caddies will have a carry handle, an aerated lid and be dishwasher-friendly, and 150 biodegradable and compostable plastic liners will be provided alongside an information pack.

Residential properties under 4000-square-metres where the City of Ballarat does kerbside waste and recycling bin collection are eligible automatically. Larger properties can opt into the green waste service for a fee.

The food waste move aligns with the State Government’s Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021 which requires municipalities to have a FOGO service by 2030.