Future of FOGO
Rockhampton Regional Council and the Queensland Government launched a trial food and/or garden collection service to pre-determined households across the Rockhampton Region in October 2021. The diversion of organic material from landfill is a key objective identified in the the Australian Government’s National Waste Policy and Action Plan. The roll-out of the Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) / Garden Organics (GO) trial is an action outlined in the Queensland Government’s Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy and Queensland Organics Strategy and Action Plan.
As part of the trial, 750 selected households in the Rockhampton Region received a Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) bin or Garden Organics (GO) bin.
FOGO Trial (2021-2022) Facts:
- 282 tonnes of organic waste were diverted from landfill
- Households with the GO service diverted 41% of their total household waste from landfill
- Households with the FOGO service diverted 67% of their total household waste from landfill
FOGO collected during the trial was collected via a commercial composting process. NuGrow converts waste streams such as garden waste, food waste and other organic wastes into safe, quality compost suitable for home and commercial landscaping. Each product undergoes laboratory testing and independent analysis to monitor quality prior to market release.
Thank you to our FOGO Champions for your active participation in this trial and for willingly adapting your waste behaviours. Data collected during the trial period has been invaluable and provided great insight into organics management.
The post-trial FOGO service has now concluded on 31 August 2023. The primary focus for a regional roll out in the future is delivering a robust organics business case that is further supported by the State Government. Council is continuing to advocate for support at both the state and federal level to ensure any financial impacts to residents are kept to a minimum.
You can help fight food waste and manage your own organic waste at home by following the link HERE.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the compostable labels on packaging mean?
There are lots of labels on packaging and understandably, this can present challenges in knowing how to correctly compost or dispose an item.
Below is a brief overview of compostable labels on your product packaging.
Home Compostable Verification Logo (Australian Standard AS 5810)
The Home Compostable Verification logo identifies and differentiates packaging materials as biodegradable and compostable. To be certified compostable and carry the Home Compostable Verification logo, suitable biopolymer materials must undergo a stringent test regime outlined by AS 5810-2010 and carried out by recognised independent accredited laboratories to the Australian Standard.
If a product is labelled Home Compostable, then it can go in a home compost system.
Certified Compostable (Australian Standard AS 4736)
The Seedling logo clearly identifies and differentiates packaging materials as biodegradable and compostable. To be certified compostable and carry the Seedling logo, suitable biopolymer materials must undergo a stringent test regime outlined by AS4736 and carried out by recognised independent accredited laboratories to the AS4736 standard.
If a product is labelled Certified Compostable with the Seedling logo, it will need to go to a commercial composting or a commercial organics recycling facility.