Despite government delays, food waste recycling bins are coming to your kitchen sooner than you think
By Lottie Dalziel, Founder of Banish · Last updated: May 2026
If you've recently received a small kitchen caddy and a roll of bags from your council, congratulations. You're now part of Australia's FOGO bin rollout, and you're probably staring at it wondering what on earth can go in there. Bones? Tea bags? That pizza box? This guide is the answer.
FOGO stands for Food Organics and Garden Organics. It's the green-lidded bin that goes to a composting facility instead of landfill, and it's the single biggest environmental win available to most Australian households right now. Roughly a third of what we throw in the red bin is food waste, and when food rots in landfill it produces methane, a greenhouse gas about 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year window. Diverting that into proper composting prevents the methane, builds soil carbon, and quietly takes a huge bite out of household emissions without anyone having to do anything heroic.
Here's what you can put in the green bin, what you can't, and where your state is up to in 2026.
What is FOGO and why your council is rolling it out
FOGO is a third kerbside bin (or in some areas a combined green bin) that takes food scraps and garden waste together. The contents go to a composting or anaerobic digestion facility, where they're processed at controlled temperatures for several weeks, then turned into compost that's used in agriculture, landscaping and council parks. Some facilities also capture the biogas released during digestion and feed it into the grid as renewable energy.
The push to roll FOGO out nationally comes from two angles. The federal National Waste Policy Action Plan set a goal of halving food waste to landfill by 2030, and the NSW government has gone further by mandating FOGO statewide for all councils by 2030. Most other states are progressing more slowly, council by council. The benefit is hard to argue with: NSW's EPA estimates around 35% of the average red bin is food waste, and that's the easy fix.
The original target date for nationwide FOGO was 2023. That came and went, and the new target is 2030. Whether your council has rolled out yet depends on where you live, which is why we've put the state-by-state status further down.
What you CAN put in the green bin
The exact rules vary slightly by council, but the list below covers what's accepted in almost every FOGO program in Australia. If you're in doubt, your council website will have a specific A-Z list. Cleanaway, Veolia and SUEZ all run public council search tools too.
Food scraps (all of it)
- Fruit and vegetable peels, cores and offcuts
- Cooked food leftovers, including curries, pasta, rice, stews
- Meat, fish and seafood, including raw and cooked
- Bones (chicken, beef, lamb, pork, fish)
- Dairy: cheese, yoghurt, milk-soaked items
- Eggshells and whole eggs
- Bread, pastries, cakes
- Coffee grounds and loose tea leaves
- Tea bags only if labelled plastic-free (many still contain polypropylene)
- Out-of-date food, including from the back of the fridge
The "meat, dairy and bones" rule is the one that surprises most people, because home composting can't handle those things. Council FOGO can, because the industrial composters reach much higher temperatures (above 55 degrees for an extended period) which kill pathogens. So yes, put your chicken bones in the green bin.
Garden waste
- Grass clippings
- Leaves, bark, small twigs
- Prunings and small branches (usually up to 10cm diameter)
- Dead pot plants and soil (small amounts)
- Weeds (some councils prefer you skip seeding weeds, check yours)
- Flowers and cut foliage
Food-soiled paper and cardboard
- Pizza boxes (yes, including the greasy ones)
- Used paper towel and napkins
- Brown paper bags from the bakery
- Newspaper used to wrap food scraps
- Unwaxed paper plates
Certified compostable bags and liners
This is where most contamination happens, so it matters. The only bags accepted in FOGO are those certified to Australian Standard AS 4736 (industrial composting) or AS 5810 (home composting). Look for the seedling logo with the certification number. Brands like BioPak, Compost-A-Pak and council-issued bags carry these certifications. Bags labelled "biodegradable", "degradable" or "plant-based" without the AS certification are usually a no, because they don't break down at the speed industrial composting needs.
If your council didn't issue you bags, you can also line your caddy with newspaper or just rinse it out. The bags are convenient, not compulsory.
What you CAN'T put in the green bin
This is the bit that ruins entire truckloads if it goes wrong. Contamination is the number one reason FOGO loads get rejected, sent to landfill, and the program loses council funding. The big offenders:
- Plastic bags of any kind that aren't certified AS 4736 or AS 5810. This includes "biodegradable" supermarket bags. If it doesn't carry the seedling logo, it's a contaminant.
- Pet poo, kitty litter, and dog waste bags. Even biodegradable poo bags are a no in most councils because of pathogen risk and the bags often aren't actually certified.
- Nappies and sanitary products, including ones marketed as "eco" or "biodegradable".
- Food packaging of any kind: plastic wrap, plastic punnets, foil, takeaway containers (yes, even the brown moulded fibre ones unless your council specifically says yes).
- Tea bags with nylon or polypropylene mesh. If you're not sure, cut it open and tip the leaves in.
- Coffee pods. Even the "compostable" ones rarely break down in council systems. Use the coffee pod recycling channels instead.
- Treated timber, painted wood, MDF.
- Large branches, palm fronds and tree stumps beyond council size limits.
- Soil, rocks, bricks, building rubble.
- Vacuum cleaner contents. Tempting but no, the dust contains microplastics and synthetic fibres.
- Cooking oil and fats in liquid form. Solidified fats are fine; pure oil isn't.
- Ash from BBQs or fireplaces.
If you've put something in by mistake, fish it out before bin night. The truck does spot checks, and contaminated bins get rejected at the kerb or the gate.
Your state-by-state FOGO rollout status (2026)
This is where it gets uneven. Australia's rollout is happening council by council, with state governments setting deadlines and providing grant funding. Here's where each state sits at May 2026.
| State / Territory | FOGO status | Statewide deadline |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Mandate in place. FOGO required for all households by 1 July 2030, and for all businesses generating food waste by 1 July 2030. Most metro Sydney councils have rolled out or are mid-rollout in 2026. | 2030 (mandated) |
| VIC | Progressing council by council under Recycling Victoria. Many metro Melbourne councils have FOGO (or food in green waste) live by 2026. No statewide mandate but heavy state funding to councils. | 2030 target |
| QLD | Slower rollout. Most South East Queensland councils have garden-only green bins, with food added in a growing minority. Brisbane, Logan, and Sunshine Coast have FOGO. State waste strategy targets organics diversion but no firm statewide deadline. | No mandate yet |
| ACT | FOGO live in most Canberra suburbs since 2024. The ACT government rolled the service out progressively across all suburbs, making the ACT one of the leading jurisdictions. | Effectively complete |
| WA | Mixed. The "Better Bins" funding program has accelerated FOGO in Perth metro councils. Some are full FOGO, others garden-only, regional WA largely without. | Metro target 2025 (partially met) |
| SA | SA was the original FOGO pioneer (Adelaide councils have run green-organics bins since the early 2010s). Most Adelaide metro residents already have food + garden organics. Regional coverage is patchier. | Established, expanding |
| TAS | Limited. Hobart, Glenorchy and Launceston have launched FOGO trials and rollouts. State-wide rollout is in early stages and not mandated. | No mandate yet |
| NT | Very limited. Some Darwin region initiatives but no widespread FOGO service. | No timeline |
If you don't have a FOGO bin yet and want one, ring your council and ask when they're rolling out. Council waste budgets respond to resident pressure, and the more people who ask, the faster it moves.
If your council doesn't offer FOGO yet
You've still got options. Home composting handles fruit, veg, coffee grounds and garden waste, and a worm farm or Bokashi bucket can extend that to include some cooked food and small amounts of dairy. The ShareWaste app connects people with food scraps to neighbours who'll compost them. Community gardens often take drop-offs too. None of it is as easy as a council green bin, but all of it beats sending food to landfill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put meat in the green bin?
Yes. Council FOGO accepts raw and cooked meat, fish, seafood, dairy and bones. Industrial composting facilities reach temperatures above 55 degrees for an extended period, which kills pathogens that home compost can't handle. This is the main reason council FOGO can take so much more than your backyard heap.
Can I use any plastic bag if it says biodegradable?
No. The only bags accepted in FOGO are those certified to Australian Standard AS 4736 (industrial composting) or AS 5810 (home composting). Look for the seedling logo with the certification number. "Biodegradable" or "degradable" without that certification is a contaminant and can ruin an entire truckload.
Are pizza boxes allowed in the green bin?
Yes, including the greasy ones. Food-soiled paper and cardboard belongs in FOGO rather than the yellow recycling bin, because grease ruins paper recycling but is fine in compost. Rip the box up a bit so it composts faster.
What about tea bags?
Only if they're plastic-free. Most major brands still use polypropylene mesh to seal the bag, which won't break down. If the box doesn't specifically say "plastic-free", tip the leaves into the bin and chuck the bag in the red bin, or switch to loose-leaf.
Can I put pet poo or kitty litter in FOGO?
No. Pathogen risk and contamination from synthetic kitty litter mean almost every Australian council excludes pet waste from FOGO. Some councils run separate dog poo composting trials, but for now the red bin is the answer.
Why has the FOGO rollout been so slow?
Building the composting infrastructure is expensive, and councils need processing facilities within trucking range before they can run a collection service. The federal government has provided grant funding via the National Waste Policy, and NSW has now mandated rollout by 2030, which is accelerating things. Other states are moving slower because there's no firm deadline.
Does FOGO actually reduce emissions?
Significantly. Food waste in landfill releases methane, a greenhouse gas about 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years. Composting in oxygen-rich conditions produces carbon dioxide instead, and stores carbon in soil. Australian government modelling estimates universal FOGO would cut around 3.4 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions per year.
What if my green bin smells?
Use a kitchen caddy with a certified compostable bag, empty it every few days, and rinse it out. Keep meat and seafood scraps in the freezer until bin night if your collection is weekly. In summer, line the bottom of the bin with newspaper to soak up moisture. Most councils now collect FOGO weekly while red bins go fortnightly, which keeps the smell manageable.