Council to introduce FOGO, glass drop-off network

Mount Alexander Shire Council has approved major changes to household waste and recycling services, with a new Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) kerbside collection service and a dedicated glass recycling drop-off network to be introduced from July 2027.

Under Victorian Government reforms, councils are required to provide a FOGO service and separate glass from mixed recycling. The approved changes will ensure Mount Alexander Shire complies with these requirements while delivering local environmental benefits.

The changes will help reduce waste sent to landfill and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Council will provide an opt-out function to those who can demonstrate they are effectively managing their food and garden organics at home or through a community program.

In July 2027, the following changes will take effect

Lime-green-lid bin (FOGO)

New weekly kerbside collection service
Accepts food scraps and garden waste
Organic material will be processed into valuable compost locally, instead of going to landfill

Red-lid bin (General waste)

Collection frequency will change from weekly to fortnightly
Households will be encouraged to use the FOGO service to divert food and garden waste from the general waste stream

Yellow-lid bin (Mixed recycling)

No change to collection arrangements
Will continue to accept items such as hard plastics, cardboard, paper, aluminium and steel cans

Glass recycling

Glass bottles and jars will no longer be placed in mixed recycling bins
Residents will be able to recycle glass at dedicated drop-off locations across the shire

Benefits of the FOGO service

Waste audits show that around one-third of the material currently placed in general rubbish bins across Mount Alexander Shire is food and garden organics.

By diverting this material into the new FOGO service, more organic waste can be turned into compost rather than being sent to landfill. Composting organic material is cheaper than landfill disposal and creates a valuable resource that helps return nutrients to local soils.

The new FOGO service is expected to divert up to 900 tonnes of organic waste from landfill each year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1,035 tonnes annually.

Supporting local composting

Council recognises the strong culture of home composting, worm farming and community composting across the shire. The FOGO service is intended to complement these efforts, not replace them.

Residents who can demonstrate they are effectively managing their food and garden organics at home or through a recognised community composting program, such as YIMBY, will be able to apply to opt out of the FOGO service. Eligibility criteria and a possible rebate are currently being considered.

Why a glass drop-off network?

Council considered both kerbside and drop-off glass recycling models and determined a drop-off network is the most practical and cost-effective option for Mount Alexander Shire.

The introduction of Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme has significantly reduced the amount of glass entering household recycling systems, making a separate kerbside service less efficient. A glass drop-off network is estimated to cost around 80 per cent less than a kerbside glass collection service while still providing residents with an effective recycling option.

Council will work with older residents, people living with disability, residents without access to transport and community organisations to explore practical solutions that support accessibility and participation.

What happens next?

Council will now finalise contracts and continue detailed service planning. In early 2027, Council will confirm service costs, finalise FOGO opt-out arrangements and consult with the community on the location of glass drop-off sites. The new services are scheduled to begin in July 2027.

About FOGO

What is FOGO?

The new FOGO collection service allows food scraps and garden waste to be collected and processed into compost rather than sent to landfill.

Materials accepted would include:

Fruit and vegetable scraps
Meat, bones and seafood
Bread, dairy and leftovers
Grass clippings
Leaves
Small branches
Garden prunings
Garden weeds

Under the new model:

FOGO will be collected weekly
Each household would receive a 140-litre FOGO bin and kitchen caddy
Material would be processed locally, at the Castlemaine Transfer Station
Compost produced would be reused locally

Why weekly FOGO collection?

Food waste breaks down quickly and can create odours and attract pests if stored for long periods.

Weekly collection will:

Reduce odour and hygiene issues
Minimise pests and maggots
Improve resident experience
Maximise diversion of organics from landfill

Many Victorian councils operating FOGO services use weekly collection for these reasons.

What will the compost be used for?

FOGO materials will be processed into high-quality compost that can be reused locally.

Potential uses include:

Council parks and gardens – improving soil health and supporting tree planting
Community projects – such as Landcare and local environmental activities
Agriculture – potential future use to support local farming
Residents – available in bags or bulk, either free or at low cost

Producing compost locally means valuable nutrients are returned to the soil, supporting healthy landscapes and reducing waste.

Compost quality

The FOGO system is designed to turn food and garden organics (FOGO) into safe, high-quality compost here in the shire. FOGO processing will be managed with clear standards and the final product will be suitable for many different uses.

All compost produced must meet the Australian Standard AS4454-2012 (or higher). This standard sets clear rules to make sure compost is safe, well-processed and ready to use. Meeting this standard means the compost can be used with confidence in a wide range of settings.

To make sure these standards are always met, Council will carry out regular quality testing. This ongoing testing will check that the compost stays safe and consistent.

Keeping contamination low

Good compost starts with clean input. To produce high-quality compost, contamination must stay below 2%.

To help with this:

FOGO collected from households will be checked at the Castlemaine Transfer Station
Staff will remove any unsuitable items before processing
This gives Council direct control over the quality of materials going into the process and follows best-practice advice from industry experts.

About glass drop-off

Instead of placing glass bottles and jars in mixed recycling bins, residents will take them to local glass recycling drop-off points.

The proposed network includes:

Around eight locations across the shire
Castlemaine Transfer Station
Maldon Transfer Station

Potential locations being considered include:

Taradale
Sutton Grange
Harcourt
Newstead
Vaughan
Guildford
Chewton
Campbells Creek

Final locations would be confirmed following community consultation.

Why a drop-off model instead of a kerbside glass bin?

Council's assessment found that a glass drop-off network would:

Cost considerably less than a kerbside glass collection service
Reduce additional truck movements across the shire
Reduce emissions associated with collection vehicles
Improve the quality of mixed recycling by removing broken glass contamination
Create opportunities for future recycling streams at drop-off sites

The proposal has also been informed by changing recycling patterns following Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme, which has reduced the volume of glass remaining in household recycling bins.

Accessibility and inclusion

Council recognises that a glass drop-off network may not work equally well for everyone.

Council will work with the following residents to to explore practical solutions that support accessibility and participation:

Older residents
People living with disability
Residents without access to transport
Community organisations

FAQs

How much will FOGO and Glass services cost?

Waste services are funded through the Waste Service Charge.

While detailed cost modelling has been undertaken, final costs have not yet been determined.

A number of factors still need to be confirmed, including:

State Government levies
Final contract arrangements
Service design
Number of households opting out of FOGO
Administration requirements

Any changes to charges would be considered through the 2027/28 budget process.

Council's modelling indicates that diverting organics from landfill can help avoid increasing landfill disposal, transport and levy costs over the long term.

Council is committed to:

Carefully managing costs
Using long-term contracts to improve efficiency
Reducing costs over time by lowering landfill disposal

Will I be able to opt out of FOGO?

Residents who can demonstrate they are effectively managing food and garden organics at home or through recognised community composting programs will be able to apply to opt out.

The eligibility criteria and application process are still being developed.

A rebate for approved opt-out households is currently being assessed.

Will renters be able to access the proposed FOGO service?

Yes. The FOGO service would be available to both renters and property owners in households that currently receive a waste collection service. Renters would receive the same FOGO bin and kitchen caddy as other households.

Can I put large branches in the FOGO bin?

Branches placed in the FOGO bin should generally be no thicker than 100mm in diameter, primarily to manage weight and collection requirements.

Detailed guidance will be provided before it commences.

Why not introduce a garden-waste-only service instead of FOGO?

The Victorian Government's four-stream waste model is based on a combined Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service. The proposed system is designed to collect food scraps and garden organics together and process them into compost.

Council's assessment indicates this approach provides greater landfill diversion and supports compliance with future waste service requirements.

Will larger bins be available?

The service includes a 140-litre FOGO bin for each household.

Council is also investigating different bin sizes and additional FOGO bin options to accommodate households with higher waste volumes. No final decisions have been made.

Why remove glass from mixed recycling?

When glass breaks inside mixed recycling bins, it creates small shards that contaminate paper, cardboard and other recyclable materials.

Separating glass into its own recycling stream helps improve the quality and value of other recyclable materials and reduces contamination throughout the recycling process.

Can I still put glass in my yellow-lid recycling bin?

No. Under the new system, glass bottles and jars would be taken to dedicated glass drop-off locations.

Paper, cardboard, plastics and metals would remain in the yellow-lid recycling bin.

What happens to the glass after I drop it off?

Glass collected through the drop-off network would be sent to specialist recycling facilities where it can be processed into products such as:

New glass containers
Construction materials
Road base products
Other recycled glass products

How will you make glass drop-off accessible?

Council will work with the following residents and groups to explore practical solutions that support accessibility and participation:

Older residents
People living with disability
Residents without access to transport
Community organisations

Have a question?

If you have any questions about the waste service changes, complete the online form and our Waste Team will get back to you.