FOGO good to go in Lockyer as council targets food waste
One of the smallest councils in south-east Queensland has beaten some of its bigger local government colleagues to the punch and will trial a collection system for food and garden waste.
Lockyer Valley Regional Council plans to involve about 900 homes in the trial, which will see food waste, including meat and seafood scraps, join garden waste in a special green-topped bin to be picked up weekly.
The council is partnering with the Palaszczuk Government in the $320,000 trial of the so-called FOGO (food organics, garden organics) collection system.
Brisbane City Council announced its own FOGO trial last month’s city budget but it is understood Lockyer Valley’s project will begin earlier and run until late 2022. Ipswich City Council has a small “opt-in” FOGO collection service and has recently announced plans to expand it citywide.
The renewed interest in FOGO is part of a general push for west policy reform in local government, sparked by the government’s $75 a tonne waste levy.
Lockyer Valley council is talking the reform up as a means of diverting up to 83 per cent of food and garden waste from ending up in landfill. Studies have shown up to half of all waste from households is food waste.
Residents in the trial areas will receive a kitchen caddy with compostable liners and a 240-litre green lidded waste bin.
The council says the FOGO bin will accept all garden waste, including trimmings, clippings and pruning; meat (including bones) and dairy; eggshells; seafood; leftover take away food; vegetable and fruit scraps; tissues, paper towels and shredded paper.
About 70 local councils across Australia have some form of FOGO kerbside collection system.
