Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO)

What is FOGO?

FOGO stands for Food Organics and Garden Organics.

It allows you to recycle:

  • Food scraps (fruit, vegetables, meat, bones)
  • Garden clippings (grass, leaves, branches)
  • Other compostable materials

Under the proposed model for Mount Alexander Shire:

  • FOGO would be collected weekly
  • Materials would be processed locally within the Shire
  • Outputs would become high-quality mulch/compost for local use

Each household would receive:

  • A FOGO kerbside bin
  • A kitchen caddy for easy food scrap separation

Opting out of FOGO

You will be able to request to opt out of the proposed FOGO service.

The process – including eligibility criteria and application steps – will be finalised early in the 2026/2027 financial year, before the service starts in July 2027.

The opt-out process will be developed with input from the Community Waste Reference Group to make sure it reflects community needs.

Ensuring quality

To produce safe, high-quality compost:

  • Contamination must remain below 2%
  • Materials will be checked before processing
  • Output will meet or exceed Australian standards

A strong education program will support residents to use the system correctly.

How council will ensure high-quality compost from FOGO

The proposed 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.

Meeting Quality Standards

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.

Helping Residents Get It Right

The quality of compost depends on how well waste is sorted at home. Council will run a community education campaign to help residents:

  • Know what can and can’t go in the FOGO bin
  • Sort their waste correctly at home
  • Understand how good sorting reduces landfill and improves recycling

What will the compost be used for?

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

Proposed 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.

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