Western Australia rolls out new FOGO bin rule: 'It's so important'

Published: 03:15, 6 August 2026 | Updated: 03:16, 6 August 2026 Residents in Western Australia will no longer be allowed to throw various types of waste into their FOGO bin as a new rule comes into effect.  Poo bags, tea bags, paper towels and pizza boxes can no longer be placed in the FOGO bins after the local waste authority quietly updated its guidelines online. A FOGO bin is a green waste bin used for collecting food scraps such as meat, fruit, bones and garden waste including items such as grass cuttings, so they can be composted instead of sent to landfill. The changes came into effect on July 10, with local councils only now sharing the updated rules on social media. It is understood the changes will not affect collection days, bin sizes or how the services operate. The updated rules bring Western Australia into line with most other states and territories, including NSW, Victoria and the ACT, where dog poo is already banned from FOGO bins.  It is a change aimed at simplifying the process and improving recycling outcomes, according to City of Stirling Mayor and WA Local Government Association president Mark Irwin.  'What we've seen through [implementing] FOGO is it's so important that these waste streams are pure in what they're intended to be, otherwise they're contaminated and they can't be used for their intended recycling purpose,' he said. New guidance issued for organic and food waste bins in Western Australia  'The changes that are being implemented are effectively to make sure that the waste is more pure,' the Mayor of Perth's largest council said in an interview to ABC Radio. Mr Irwin said many takeaway containers and cups labelled as compostable were not compatible with current waste processing systems, creating further issues for councils.  'If you put the wrong forms of waste into these waste streams, they can actually create an exploding effect across the volume that's collected, and most of these are around the chemicals that are involved,' he said. The changes also mean some information currently printed on bins will become outdated, potentially causing confusion for residents.  'It's certainly a challenge for councils,' Mr Irwin admitted.  'They're seeing a lot of pushback from their communities and they're looking, again, for really strong leadership and sufficient funding.' Western Australia is not the only state facing a bin overhaul, with Victorians confused after the state introduced a purple bin for glass recycling.  More than 30 councils have pushed back against the Victorian Government's four-bin system, raising concerns about its effectiveness and cost. Poo bags are among the items no longer allowed to be thrown into green FOGO bins  Some residents have also questioned how useful the new bin will be, claiming they rarely have enough glass waste to fill it. 'My purple bin hasn't hit the kerb yet. I'm seeing how long it takes to fill it. So far we are at 13 months,' one resident said. 'The only thing I would put in there is the occasional tomato sauce bottle or an old Vegemite jar, so it would take me years to fill up,' another added. But Aussies should get used to seeing more green bins, with FOGO services being increasingly rolled out across the country in an effort to divert organic waste from landfill as Australia faces growing pressure on its waste and recycling systems. Greater Sydney is expected to run out of landfill capacity by 2030, highlighting the urgent need for new waste solutions. In NSW, legislation requires all households to have access to a green waste bin by July 2030, while Victoria has mandated councils provide FOGO collections alongside separate glass recycling bins by July 2027. Queensland and Tasmania have limited rollouts underway, while the Northern Territory currently has no plans for a statewide FOGO service. Purple glass bins have been rolled out in the state of Victoria