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City of Wollongong
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How to FOGO

Are you new to FOGO? Or need to brush up on your FOGO skills? Find out more below.

What can and can't go in?

Things that can go in your FOGO include food scraps (including meat, bones, dairy, citrus, mouldy and out-of-date food), grass clippings, leaves, shrubs and weeds. As FOGO is processed at high heat, any seeds or roots from weeds won’t re-sprout.

You can't use FOGO for tissues, paper, cardboard (including food-soiled pizza boxes), tea bags, coffee filters, biodegradable bags, or takeaway packaging marketed as compostable or biodegradable.

Check out the Wollongong Waste website for a detailed list of what can and can't go in FOGO.

We also have five easy steps below to help you get the most out of your caddy and FOGO bin.

You can also download our FOGO High 5 Guide PDF, 6256.46 KB.

Use a compostable liner in your caddy. This makes it easier to move food waste from your kitchen caddy to your green bin.

Council is currently giving each household a roll of 150 liners each. These liners are designed to fit your 8 litre FOGO caddy.

If you need more, look for liners displaying the AS 4736 code and seedling logo, which can be bought at most supermarkets. See Wollongong Waste's Compostable Liner Guide for details.

Stay on top of drips and odours. Because they're compostable, liners will break down over time. This might cause drips and odours. Some things that might help include:

  • Line the bottom of your caddy with paper towel to absorb any liquids or odours.
  • Sprinkle bicarbonate soda in the bottom of your caddy to reduce odour.
  • Put smelly leftovers in a container, compostable liner, or rolled in newspaper, and put them in the freezer until bin night.

Tie it up. The liners we supply are 'singlet style', so you can tie them up before you put them in your green FOGO bin.

If you prefer not to use a caddy liner, that's fine too - it just might be a bit messier!

Keep your caddy or container close to your kitchen to make it easy to collect your food scraps. Places like your benchtop, in a cupboard or under the sink can be handy.

Store your caddy out of direct sunlight.

Keep your kitchen caddy lid closed to minimise fruit  flies (or vinegar flies) from getting into your caddy. You can also lift the handle to lock the lid in place.

If fruit flies are a problem, you can make a simple trap using vinegar and dish soap. Download our Fruit Fly Trap Guide PDF, 6178.04 KB to get started.

Putting smelly leftovers in a container, compostable liner or newspaper, and placing them in the freezer until bin night can also reduce insects and pests.

Empty your caddy every two to three days, or as needed. Take your kitchen caddy to the bin to prevent any spills when emptying it.

After emptying, give your kitchen caddy a regular wash in warm soapy water.

Some people have a second kitchen caddy which they swap out and clean, while the other caddy is in use.

If you're looking for a second caddy, many options are available from a range of department and hardware stores. You could also re-use a sealable container, like an ice cream container.

Try to store your green-lidded FOGO bin in the shade, in a well ventilated location. This will reduce the temperature of the bin's contents.

Layer your food waste with garden waste in your green-lidded FOGO bin. This will help minimise smells and pests in your green bin.

Place your green-lidded FOGO bin out on the kerb for collection every week.

To find out when your bin night is, check the Wollongong Waste calendar or download the Wollongong Waste app.

No matter how full the bin is, put it out weekly - emptying it regularly will help reduce smells and pests!

Ready to get started? Request a starter kit, get your caddy liners or check out our FOGO tips.