In 2025, the Town rolled out the FOGO 3-bin system for all residential properties up to 10 units.
As part of the FOGO service, households are provided with a kitchen caddy to make collecting food scraps easy. This small benchtop container is designed to store food waste in your kitchen before it's emptied into your FOGO bin.
To find out where to take these items, visit our hazardous waste disposal page here.
Many organisations welcome donations of clean, undamaged clothing, homewares, toys, and electrical goods.
What is FOGO?
FOGO turns your food and garden waste into nutrient-rich compost. With FOGO, you’re able to put your food scraps and garden waste in the same bin.
Up to half of the contents in our general waste bins are organic material. Under the FOGO system, we can turn this organic material into compost, instead of sending it to landfill.
Why did the Town implement FOGO?
In May 2025, Council approved the rollout of the FOGO 3-bin system for residential properties in the Town, starting from August 2025 (click here to read the minutes of the Council decision).
Implementing FOGO is a key initiative to protect our environment, reduce waste, and minimise the production of greenhouse gases. These are all key outcomes in the Town’s Strategic Community Plan, Climate Emergency Plan and Strategic Waste Management Plan, and the WA State Government requires all local governments in Perth to implement FOGO by 2025.
Reduction in landfill: Transitioning to FOGO removes all food waste from the red-lidded general waste bin and keeps it out of landfill. The WA State Government has set a target for 70% of waste to be diverted from landfill by 2025 and FOGO will help us all to meet this target.
Diverting organic waste: Organic waste is a problem in landfill as it produces methane, a harmful greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Turning organic waste into compost will reduce the impact on the environment and return valuable nutrients to the soil.
What are the benefits of FOGO?
FOGO brings big environmental benefits for our community:
- Less waste to landfill: FOGO removes organic waste from your red-lidded general waste bin, keeping it out of landfill. This helps us work towards the State Government’s goal of diverting 70% of waste from landfill by 2025.
- Better use of organic waste: When organic waste ends up in landfill, it breaks down without oxygen and creates methane – a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. By composting organic waste instead, we reduce emissions and return valuable nutrients to the soil.
Why can’t tea bags, pizza boxes, tissues or paper towels go in FOGO?
While these items may appear compostable, many contain materials that do not break down properly and can reduce the quality of compost outputs.
Issues with these items include:
- Tea bags can contain plastic fibres, staples or other materials that do not fully compost.
- Pizza boxes often contain grease, coatings, inks or other contaminants that can affect compost quality
- Tissues and paper towels can contain chemicals, cleaning residues, or other contaminants.
These items should now go in your general waste bin. Alternatively, you can choose low-waste options, such loose-leaf tea, reusable food containers, reusable tissues and reusable cloths.
Why can’t I put takeaway packaging in FOGO?
While some takeaway packaging is genuinely compostable, labelling is inconsistent and difficult to verify, and most takeaway containers are made of a mix of materials. This makes it challenging for processing facilities to distinguish between compostable and non-compostable products, making takeaway packaging a common source of FOGO contamination.
To support cleaner FOGO streams and maintain clear, consistent waste-sorting messages, all takeaway packaging should now be placed in the general waste bin.
Why can’t pet waste go in FOGO?
Animal droppings, including pet poo and kitty litter, need to go in the general waste bin.
This is because animal droppings can carry parasites and pathogens that may not be reliably destroyed during the composting process. Removing animal waste from the FOGO stream helps make sure compost stays clean and suitable for use in gardens, parks and farms.
Pro tip: bagging animal droppings tightly helps to keep smells contained in your general waste bin.
Why does it feel like the FOGO rules change so often?
FOGO is still a relatively new waste management system in WA, and councils, compost processors and regulators have continued to learn more about what helps, and what hinders, the production of high-quality compost.
As new contamination issues emerge, the list of accepted FOGO items may be updated to protect the composting process. While these changes can sometimes seem frustrating or confusing, they are designed to improve compost quality and maximise the environmental benefits of the service.
The goal of FOGO is to recover valuable organic material and turn it into compost that can be safely used in parks, farms and landscaping. When too many contaminants end up in FOGO bins, the resulting compost may no longer be suitable for use, undermining the entire purpose of the service.
This means that some items that were previously accepted may later be removed if they are found to be a common source of contamination. Although this can feel counterintuitive, these changes help ensure more food and garden waste can be successfully recovered and reused.
In July 2026, the WA State Government, in collaboration with WA Local Governments and the waste industry, agreed to simplify
To reduce confusion and improve consistency, the WA State Government, local governments and the waste industry agreed in July to simplify accepted FOGO items across the state to just three things: food scraps, garden clippings, and certified compostable caddy liners.
The Town expects this simpler, state-wide approach to make FOGO easier to use and reduce the need for future changes to accepted items.
What is PFAS?
Per- and polyfluroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals that can be used to make some products resistant to water, grease or stains. They do not break down easily and can affect the quality of compost.
Some paper-based products and food packaging may contain PFAS, plastic coatings or other materials that are not suitable for composting. These products vary widely and can be difficult to identify during processing, so they are not accepted in FOGO.
Can I still line my caddy with newspaper?
No. Newspaper, paper towels and other paper products are no longer accepted in FOGO. Some paper and cardboard products may contain PFAS and other chemicals. To help keep FOGO clean, paper and cardboard products are no longer accepted.
If you want to line your caddy, use certified compostable caddy liners with the AS 4736 seedling logo. These are accepted in FOGO because they are designed to specifically help households collect food scraps and have been assessed as suitable for use in FOGO systems.
The information on my FOGO bin lid and kitchen caddy says tea bags and paper towels can go in FOGO. Is this correct?
No, this is no longer correct.
While tea bags and paper towels were previously accepted in the FOGO bin, current FOGO guidelines require these items to be placed in your general waste bin instead.
If your FOGO bin or kitchen caddy displays outdated information, you can request a replacement sticker to collect from the Town's administration building by emailing admin@vicpark.wa.gov.au. The sticker can be placed over the incorrect information on your bin or caddy.
What do I do with shredded paper?
Shredded paper should now go in your red-lidded general waste bin. It is no longer accepted in the FOGO bin as some paper products may contain coatings or additives that are not suitable for compost.
While paper can usually be recycled, shredded paper is too small and light to be sorted properly at recycling facilities. Placing it in general waste helps keep both recycling and FOGO streams clean and effective.
If you’re looking to reduce waste, consider shredding only what’s needed for privacy, or switching to digital records where possible. Keeping paper whole and unshredded means it can often be recycled instead.
Can I compost paper or certified compostable packaging at home instead?
Some people choose to compost paper products at home. Because you control what goes into your home compost system, you can choose to compost uncoated paper products that do not contain inks or dyes.
If you compost at home, make sure any certified compostable products meet the Australian home composting standard (AS 5810) and display the home compost logo or certification number.
Where is my 2026-2027 Waste Guide?
The Town is in the process of finalising a new contract for waste collection and management services, as the previous contract has come to its natural end. Given the complexity and importance of waste services to the community, the new contract is expected to take some time to finalise.
2026-2027 Waste Guides will be delayed until the new waste collection contract is finalised. In the interim, waste collection schedules, verge valet and hazardous waste disposal dates will be unaffected.
When did the Town switch to FOGO?
FOGO was introduced to residents in two phases:
- Phase 1: in August 2025 residential households that already had a third bin for garden organics were delivered a FOGO kitchen caddy and started on the new FOGO system.
- Phase 2: in December 2025, residential properties that were using the 2-bin system received a new FOGO bin and kitchen caddy, officially making the switch to FOGO.
Why did general waste collection move to fortnightly?
Reducing waste sent to landfill is one of the Town’s key goals to protect our environment, and moving general waste to fortnightly collection is an important part of achieving this. With FOGO, all organic material is now collected weekly and turned into compost instead of going to landfill. This means there should be significantly less waste going into the general waste bin.
This change also aligns with the State Government’s commitment to rolling out FOGO (together with fortnightly general waste collections) across WA as part of the State’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030. Councils are adopting this model because it reduces landfill, cuts emissions, and supports a more sustainable, circular economy.
We recognise that shifting to fortnightly general waste collection takes some adjustment. To support households through the transition, the Town chose to retain the larger 240‑litre general waste bins, rather than move to the smaller 140‑litre bins recommended by the State Government. This approach reflects the Town’s commitment to balancing best practice principles with the practical needs of our community.
What can I do about bin smells?
Here are some handy tips to help with smelly bins:
- Put your FOGO bin out every week, even if it’s not full
- To prevent breakage, don’t overfill your compostable caddy bags. Tie them off tightly. Keep caddy lid closed tightly.
- Wrap and place any odorous food scraps (seafood, meat etc.) in the freezer until collection day.
- Layering green waste at the bottom of the bin can help absorb liquids and prevent waste sticking to the inside of the bin.
- If possible, allow lawn clippings and garden cuttings to dry out to prevent moisture build up before putting them in your FOGO bin.
- Keep your bins in the shade with the bin lids tightly closed.
- Sprinkle baking soda, vinegar, oil of cloves or lemon juice in the bin after emptying to reduce odours.
- Clean your bin after emptying with soapy water.
What about nappies?
It’s certainly unpleasant to think about, but research shows that used nappies in kerbside bins don’t smell significantly worse after two weeks compared to one.
If you’re having issues, the best measures to tackle nappy smells in your bins is to empty nappy contents into the toilet before disposing, wrap dirty nappies tightly in a nappy bag, make sure your bin lids fully close, and store your bins in the shade or away from direct sunlight. You can even sprinkle a small amount of baking soda, vinegar or lemon juice in your bins after they’re emptied to reduce odours.
You can find the research mentioned on page 28 of the Waste Authority document here.
My caddy liners leak sometimes. What can I do?
Compostable liners are designed to break down naturally, which means they’re not as strong as plastic. Occasional small tears or leaks are normal – it’s part of what makes them compostable and better for the environment. They typically have a shelf life of around 12 months. To get the most out of your liners, store them in a cool, dry place, away from heat and direct sunlight.
Tips to reduce leaks:
- Change your liner every 2-3 days to avoid breakdown from moisture.
- Empty your caddy directly into the FOGO bin instead of carrying the liner separately – this will help prevent spills on your way to the bin.
- Rinse your caddy between uses to keep it clean and fresh.
- Avoid putting warm food scraps into the liner.
- Try going liner-free - some residents prefer emptying the caddy contents straight into the FOGO bin.
What if I currently compost or have a worm farm at home?
FOGO can complement your compost bin/worm farm, as it can take the things that they can’t – like meat, bones, dairy products and larger prunings.
Will FOGO be rolled out to businesses or apartment complexes?
Not at this stage. FOGO has only been introduced to residential properties of up to 10 units per dwelling.
Can I buy compost made from FOGO waste?
Yes, it’s available to buy through:
- West Metro Recycling Centre (60 Lemnos Street, Shenton Park)
- Mazzegas Landscape Supplies
The compost is accredited and audited under Australian Standards. Their products are composted whereby organic materials are microbiologically transformed under controlled aerobic conditions at achieve pasteurisation and a specified level of maturity.
Contacting the specific location beforehand is recommended to confirm product availability.
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