Bin it better with FOGO!
Published on 30 June 2026
There’s no more time to waste, Baw Baw Shire, South Gippsland Shire and Wellington Shire Councils are ready to roll with the new Food Organics and Garden Organics service, kicking off in the first week of July.
Baw Baw Shire and Wellington Shire will commence on Monday 6 July, while South Gippsland Shire will start on Wednesday 1 July.
What this means is that from this weekend, you can start placing your food scraps into your green lid bin with your garden clippings. By now, residents of each Council should also have their kitchen caddy, which can collect your food scraps, for emptying into your green bin.
An extensive list of what can be placed in your FOGO bin can be found on each Council’s website:
The FOGO service is being introduced because the State Government is standardising household recycling across Victoria, and all Councils are required to provide access to the FOGO service, in the move towards a circular economy and better waste management outcomes.
Whether you live in Baw Baw, Wellington or South Gippsland, your bin collection day will not change, however when FOGO starts, your green bin will be picked up each week, and collection of your red general rubbish bin will be moved to fortnightly, due to the reduced landfill waste.
Food and garden organics placed in your green bin will then be processed by Pinegro Products in Morwell, transforming this material into valuable compost and soil conditioner to support the natural environment.
Baw Baw Shire Mayor Cr Kate Wilson said the commencement of FOGO had been a long time coming and this service was an example of Council’s supporting their residents to make sustainable decisions with their waste.
“FOGO is here now, so it’s time to start thinking about what changes we can make to ensure its success and rethink how we dispose of our waste,” Cr Wilson said.
“We know that everyone’s circumstances are different and this may feel like a big change for some in our community.
“The extension of Council’s environmental rebate, which we announced earlier this month, is one step that Council is taking to support families through this change.”
Wellington Shire Council Mayor Cr Cindy Madeley added how great it was to see three local Council’s partnering together for such an important initiative.
"We’re really excited to be rolling out FOGO alongside our neighbouring councils,” Cr Madeley said.
“This joint approach has allowed us to share knowledge, streamline services and deliver a stronger, more sustainable waste solution for our communities.”
South Gippsland Shire Mayor Cr Nathan Hersey said that while this new service would take some adjusting to, the end goal is what it’s all about.
“The new FOGO service will help to reduce waste sent to landfill and provides a way for households to manage food and garden organics,” he said.
“This change will ensure Council fulfils the state-mandated waste obligations and encourages long-term outcomes that will divert waste from landfill.”
Each Council has developed an extensive set of Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found here
For more information on the standardised waste service, visit Standardising household recycling across Victoria | vic.gov.au
If you have not received your kitchen caddy (or for those in Wellington and South Gippsland, your green bin too) by the end of June, please contact your Council’s Customer Service Team.