FOGO

Knot
 AORA, FOGO, FOGO, News

To knot or not to knot

The rollout of FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics) around the country is not without challenges and concern, especially from the perspective of the Australian Organics Recycling Industry (AORA). Key to these concerns from the industry is the potential for greater levels of contamination that comes with the introduction of food organics. Historically, garden organics has been a relatively clean feedstock stream and has posed only relatively minor concern in relation to contamination. There is still contamination concerns from garden organics from plastics (e.g., potting mix bags, plastic plant pots) and other unwanted waste materials. While unwelcome, these have proven relatively easy to manage (but shouldn’t be present nonetheless). Read More
GoFOGO
 Features, FOGO, NSW EPA

$26 million available from Go FOGO Round 5

Councils across NSW are encouraged to apply for funding to roll out or expand Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) services, cutting food waste and easing pressure on landfill. Round 5 of the Go FOGO program is now open to help councils manage food waste and prepare for the mandatory shift to FOGO recycling for all households by July 2030. Read More
Councils, FOGO, Latest News

FOGO finding its place in Australia’s MUDs

By: James Cosgrove and Mike Ritchie
In 2025, Australians are getting serious about food waste; and it’s not just limited to suburban dwellings. Across the country, important steps are being taken in high-rise apartments, unit blocks, and townhouses with the goal to make food and garden organics (FOGO) recycling a part of everyday life. For several years now, kerbside collection for single dwellings (standalone homes), where food scraps and garden clippings are turned into compost instead of being disposed to landfill, has been recognised as the obvious and simplest target for rolling out FOGO.However, FOGO in multi-unit dwellings (MUDs – e.g. townhouses and residential flat buildings (RFBs)) has proven a stubborn challenge for proposed, new, and existing medium to high-density living.
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Organics mandate
 Compost, FOGO, FOGO, Opinion

Unlocking $81 million for councils to lead organics recovery

By: Ilan Levy Nadelsticher
The New South Wales (NSW) Government is taking a big step toward a circular economy. A new mandate regarding organics requires all Councils to offer a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service by 2030. Businesses (supermarkets, cafes, universities, and hospitals etc), are required to have a food waste collection service, with a staged implementation beginning in 2026. This move is meant to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills, particularly in Greater Sydney, where landfill space is expected to run out by 2030. The goal is to either turn food and garden waste into useful compost for farms, parks, and sports fields through composting, or generate electricity via anaerobic digestion (AD). Read More
Commercial food
 Compost, Features, FOGO, Food Waste

Commercial food waste collections coming to NSW

The NSW Government is going to mandate commercial food waste collection (COFO). This is excellent for NSW, and the Minister Penny Sharpe and Premier Chris Minns are to be congratulated for this reform. For those of you who don’t know what we’re talking about, from July 1, 2025 large food waste generators will need to have a dedicated food waste collection system. Food waste will no longer be able to go to landfill. Food waste in landfill is a massive greenhouse gas generator, contributing most of the 11 million tonnes of greenhouse gases released from landfill each year. That is equivalent to the annual emissions of about 3 million cars. Read More