Food Organics and Garden Organics (green) bin

Food organics and garden organics bin with green lid

Your food organics and garden organics (green) bin (FOGO) is collected fortnightly, with your general waste (red) bin, on the alternate week to your recycling (yellow) bin. 

The FOGO (green) bin makes it easy and sustainable to dispose of your food and organic waste. It might seem like a small thing to sort your waste properly, but around 50 percent of our general waste bins contain food waste, so it can make a big impact.  Using your FOGO (green) bin correctly means less material sent to landfill, preventing it from releasing methane that contributes to climate change. 

For no additional cost to your annual waste service charge owners and tenants who do not currently have a FOGO (green) bin can order a 120L or 240L FOGO (green) bin or upgrade from a 120L bin to a 240L bin.  If you would like to order a FOGO (green) bin or upgrade please complete the Upgrade your Bin Service form below.

Upgrade your Bin Service  

Disposing of food waste in FOGO

Did you know, food waste can be placed in your FOGO (green) bin, as well as garden waste!

To help dispose of your food waste, you can pick up a kitchen caddy from Melton Council Civic Centre, the Melton Library and Learning Hub or Caroline Springs Library. Alternatively, you can purchase a kitchen caddy from your local hardware or garden store or reuse a container or ice cream tub. 

Using your kitchen caddy
Lining your kitchen caddy can reduce odour and keep it cleaner.  Line your kitchen caddy using:

  • a paper towel
  • a sheet of newspaper, or
  • dry garden leaves

Please do not use compostable bin liners as they do not break down properly in the FOGO (green) bin, leading to poor quality compost for farmers.

Tips to reduce pest and odour
  • Let hot food cool down before putting it in your kitchen caddy 
  • Layer food waste in between garden waste 
  • Regularly wash your kitchen caddy and FOGO (green) bin
  • Sprinkle bicarbonate (baking soda) on top of food waste 
  • Freeze meat, bones, seafood, and other smelly food put in your FOGO (green) bin the night before collection 
  • Always keep your FOGO (green) bin in the shade with the lid closed  
  • Put your FOGO bin out for collection each fortnight, even if it isn’t full 
  • Spray lavender or mint around the base of your FOGO bin - rats and mice don’t like this smell 
      

Find out below what items are accepted, and what items are not accepted in your FOGO (green) bin.

Items accepted in your FOGO (green) bin

Line your kitchen caddy with a piece of newspaper, paper towel or dry leaves before putting your food and kitchen scraps in.

Accepted food waste includes:

  • bread, rice, pasta, noodles and other processed food products 
  • coffee grounds & loose tea leaves 
  • cheese, butter, yoghurt and dairy products 
  • eggshells 
  • fish and seafood 
  • fruit and vegetable scraps including citrus, garlic and onion 
  • leftovers including cooked and uncooked food 
  • meat and bones  
       

Accepted garden waste includes:  

  • grass clippings 
  • leaves 
  • roses, yuccas, vines (less than 3cm in diameter and 30cm long)
  • twigs and small branches (less than 3cm in diameter and 30cm long) 
  • weeds, flowers and plant cuttings 

Items NOT accepted in your FOGO (green) bin

Compostable caddy liners and plastic bags are not accepted.  The following items are also not accepted in the FOGO (green) bin:

  • animal waste, dog poo and kitty litter 
  • building materials – bricks, fence posts 
  • coffee pods and coffee cups 
  • fertilisers 
  • food packaging - cutlery, cups, plates 
  • fruit stickers and labels 
  • garden hose and tools 
  • large logs, stumps and branches (greater than 3cm diameter or longer than 30cm) 
  • nappies 
  • noxious weeds 
  • plant pots 
  • plastic bags and packaging (including biodegradable and compostable ones) 
  • rocks, stones and bricks 
  • soft plastics - cling wraps, plastic bags, packaging 
  • soil 
  • timber, treated or painted woods 
  • wet wipes 

FAQs

What happens to the contents of my FOGO (green) bin?

Food scraps and garden waste from your FOGO (green) bin are taken to a commercial composting facility to be turned into compost for use on farms and parks around Victoria.

I do home composting. Do I need a FOGO (green) bin?

Excellent! Thanks for managing your food waste at home.  A FOGO (green) bin can actually complement your home composting by taking the hard to compost items such as: 

  • chilli
  • citrus
  • dairy
  • eggshells
  • garlic and onions
  • meat and bones
  • seafood
  • weeds 

How should I present my bins for collection?

In order to have your bins collected, please:  

  • place bins out by 6am 
  • do not overfill your bin (the lid must be fully closed, and weight limits apply; heavy bins cannot be emptied) on the day of collection 
  • ensure there is clear access to your bin (away from parked cars, trees and other objects) and bins are placed at least 50cm apart  
  • face bins outwards, towards the kerb on the nature strip in front of your property for collection (unless otherwise directed by Council  
  • do not put unacceptable items into your bins

Please ensure your bins are taken back in within 24 hours of collection. 

For details on your collection day, check your bin and waste collection dates. 

Find my bin day
Waste A-Z  
General waste bin
Recycling bin 
Waste and recycling guide(PDF, 5MB)

Back to top