Weekly FOGO service for Sutherland Shire

Residents across Sutherland Shire are being asked to get ready for the Council’s new Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) service — set to be rolled out to single-dwelling households from 2 November 2026.

The FOGO rollout will commence with single-dwelling households, with future expansion planned for multi-unit developments and apartment buildings in 2027/2028.

Food waste currently makes up around 40% of general household waste, making it one of the largest components of material sent to landfill. The new weekly FOGO service will help divert thousands of tonnes of organic material from landfill and turn it into valuable compost for parks and gardens.

To help households prepare for the transition, all eligible households will receive a kitchen caddy containing a starter supply of certified compostable liners and an instructional booklet delivered to their door starting from 14 September 2026.

FOGO will allow residents to place food scraps such as fruit and vegetable peelings, leftovers, meat, seafood, dairy, bread and coffee grounds into their green lid bin along with their usual garden organics.

Sutherland Shire Mayor Jack Boyd said the new service would be an important step towards a more sustainable future for Sutherland Shire.

“FOGO is one of the most significant waste and sustainability initiatives our community has seen in many years,” Boyd said. “By making a simple change at home and putting food scraps into the green lid FOGO bin, residents will help reduce waste sent to landfill, cut greenhouse gas emissions and support a more circular economy.

“The great news is that participating is easy. Residents will receive a kitchen caddy before the service begins and we’ll provide plenty of information and support to help everyone make the switch with confidence.”

Under the new service, residents will collect food scraps in a kitchen caddy before emptying them into their green lid garden bin, which will transition from a fortnightly garden organics service to a weekly Green Lid FOGO collection service.

Eligible households will receive:

• a kitchen caddy for collecting food scraps;
• a starter supply of certified compostable liners;
• information on how to use the service;
• ongoing education and support during the rollout.
   

Residents are reminded that nothing changes yet. Until the new service begins, food scraps should continue to be placed in the red lid garbage bin and garden organics should continue to go into the green lid garden bin.

The introduction of FOGO forms part of Council’s Waste Management Strategy and supports NSW Government requirements for all councils to provide FOGO services to households by 2030.

For more information about the upcoming rollout, visit the Council’s website.

Image: Supplied