FOGO Tips

Depending on the season and temperature you might see fruit flies, just like you see around a fruit bowl.

• Empty your caddy into the green-lidded FOGO bin regularly.
• Clean your caddy well between uses, including under the rim.
• Place a saucer or small cup with a little apple cider vinegar in it and a dash of dishwashing liquid. Place near caddy. Check out our video. This also works well placed next to your fruit bowl - especially if you have bananas!
• If you have space, keep the caddy in the fridge during Summer, or a compostable liner bag with your food scraps in the freezer.

Inside your house...

• Empty your kitchen caddy regularly into your green-lidded FOGO bin.
• Wash caddy with soap and water after each use.
• Sprinkle bicarbonate soda in the bottom of your caddy, before you add the liner bag.
• Meat, seafood and other smelly scraps can be placed in a container or compostable caddy liner and kept in the freezer until collection day.
• FOGO caddies are safe to put through your dishwasher – we recommend this for every few weeks to give it a deep clean.

Outside your house...

• Minimise odours in your green-lidded FOGO bin by layering food scraps alternately with your garden organics or tuck your FOGO bags under the garden waste as you go.
• Where possible put your green-lidded FOGO bin in a shady well-ventilated spot.
• Even if there’s only a small amount in your green-lidded FOGO bin, put it out every week.

If your liners are tearing, there’s a good chance it’s because they are too old. The liners are made from corn and are designed to break down into compost when exposed to moisture and heat.

• Store liners in a cool, dry place like the pantry or in a cupboard to increase shelf life.
• Line caddy with a slice of stale bread to absorb moisture under your liner.
• Compostable bags are not as strong as a regular plastic bag – to avoid blow outs, tie off the bag and carry the whole caddy out to the bin to place contents into the green-lidded FOGO bin.
• Get new liners from Council twice a year.
• If you need to purchase additional liners, ensure they have the AS 4736 certified compostable logo on them. Check out our FOGO liner guide.

Remember, the liners aren’t required! You can happily FOGO without them and empty your caddy directly into the green bin.

A common misconception is that a little bit of food waste thrown in the red bin doesn’t matter. But when you consider all households across Wollongong, all those little bits really do add up!

Even just one little bag is worth putting out in your green bin for pickup every week.

You might also be surprised when you start using FOGO how much food waste you do collect. Find out more about what can and can't go in.

There are some things that can't be composted, but can go in FOGO.

This includes dairy, citrus, meat, bones, and shellfish. Weeds and seeds from plants you don't want re-sprouting can also go into FOGO because it is processed at high heat.

It may seem like you only have a small amount, but it all adds up and is another step towards us reaching Wollongong's net zero emissions target.

Keep up the good work - you are a FOGO Hero! Thank you.

Even if you can't get everyone else involved, your actions will still count and all add up over a year. Take a look at our section on Why FOGO? and see if there are any points in there that could motivate others in your house to get involved.

• If you don't have space on your bench, or just like an uncluttered benchtop, tuck your caddy away in a cupboard.
• Use a smaller container like a yoghurt or ice cream tub with a lid to collect your scraps instead of the caddy.
• Keep a compostable liner bag or container in the freezer instead (bonus - no smells or pests!).

Finally, some people simply don't like the look of the caddy on their benchtop. You can find other caddy styles at homewares or kitchen shops you might like better!