Residents in Victoria’s Southern Grampians Shire will soon receive a third, lime green lidded bin, as council prepares to introduce its compulsory FOGO collection service.
Council resolved to introduce the service to all townships currently in the compulsory kerbside waste service zones in September 2019, with bins to be rolled out in the coming weeks. Residents will also receive a kitchen caddy with their bin.
Southern Grampians Shire Mayor Chris Sharples said the service sees council ahead of the curve when it comes to processing organic waste.
“We made the decision to introduce the three-bin system to increase our effectiveness in processing our organic waste following a series of audits,” he said.
“Since resolving on this decision in September last year, the state government has now mandated that all councils introduce a compulsory FOGO service as part of its circular economy policy.”
According to Mr Sharples, more than 50 per cent of waste in Southern Grampians Shire bins is organic food and garden waste.
“This material breaks down without air and releases harmful greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. With the introduction of the compulsory FOGO bin, this organic material will be composted and returned to farm land to improve soil health,” he said.
“Importantly, it also saves council on costs associated with landfill charges, EPA levies and transport costs.”
Bins will be collected fortnightly from July 1 2020, on the alternate week to recycling. In spring however, bins will be collected weekly to account for excess garden waste produced at that time.
Related stories:
- Recycling Victoria: a new economy? Part three
- MWRRG’s FOGO guide for councils
- Landfill levy set to double under Recycling Victoria strategy