Environment minister defends FOGO changes amid council, resident backlash

WA environment minister defends FOGO bin exclusions amid backlash from councils, residents Fri 7 Aug 2026 at 7:19am In short: WA's environment minister has defended Waste Authority-directed changes about what items can go into green-lidded FOGO bins. The new guidelines eliminated previously allowed items including used pizza boxes, tea bags, paper towels and pet poo. But Matthew Swinbourn said it was crucial to ensure the waste is pure, with numerous examples of contamination already found in the system. The WA environment minister has defended changing the rules about what can go in green FOGO bins, amid a backlash over the changes and suggestions they have not been communicated clearly. FOGO stands for 'food organics, garden organics', and involves putting food scraps and garden rubbish in a green-lidded bin for composting. The state government authority that oversees local council waste collection has changed the guidelines on what can go in the bins, eliminating previously allowed items including used pizza boxes, tea bags, paper towels and pet poo. The rules have been updated online, specifying that only unpackaged food waste, garden waste and certified compostable bin liners can go in the bins. Waste Authority WA says the move will simplify sorting for households. But with the changes quietly updated on the Waste Authority website on July 10 and only recently beginning to be shared by local councils on social media, there are concerns they need to be communicated more clearly. Information printed on the bins and kitchen caddies supplied to households by councils when FOGO was rolled out is now incorrect. Councils are worried the adjustments will cause confusion and consternation from residents who have been resistant to the FOGO program as it has been rolled out over the past two years, and are already unhappy about reduced general waste collection, with the collection of red-lidded general waste bins changed from weekly to fortnightly. Changes prevent contamination: minister But Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn has defended the changes. "That was a decision that was led by the waste authority, and I think that's a decision that's been worked on over time, in order to ensure that FOGO remains a successful response to a waste strategy in our circular economy," Mr Swinbourn said. With numerous examples of contamination having been found within the system, Mr Swinbourn said it was crucial to ensure the waste was pure. "We've obviously had incidents where we've seen significant contamination of FOGO in particular areas, particularly in the South West there was a lot of FOGO that was infected by plastics and things of that kind, so I think the Waste Authority has done that additional work [and] made the recommendations," he said. "The communications are now going out to say that we're going to be more focused on what goes into your FOGO bin, to ensure that FOGO, when it's processed, can continue to be used in a circular way. "That's really what that's predicated on, strengthening the system, not trying to make it more difficult for people. "These are only [guides] though, this is not strictly a law or by-law or anything like this, this is providing additional guidance around FOGO better bins programs, around what local governments can do. "Different local governments manage FOGO in their own way, it's a delegated responsibility to local government to undertake that. "This is not a directive from the state government, this is guidance … but it also frames within what the government is prepared to support in terms of FOGO programs going forward." Council responsible for updating advice In the wake of calls from the president of the WA Local Government Association (WALGA) Mark Irwin on 102.5 ABC Perth for the state government to take control of a more comprehensive communication strategy around the changes, Mr Swinbourn says the responsibility for replacing the old incorrect stickers on the bins lies with local government. "Some local governments are already undertaking FOGO collection in accordance with what these new guidelines provide," he said. "I notice the stickers have been there for like the last 15 years, so stickers on bins are a matter that's managed by local governments, and they'll make their decisions as to whether or not they want to update that guidance." The minister also rejected calls for general waste bins to be collected weekly as they were previously. "I don't think collecting weekly is a reasonable change; the whole better bins program is focused on changing people's behaviour, and reducing the amount of stuff that goes into their red bin, because everything that goes into your red bin goes into landfill," he said. "Obviously one of the things about FOGO is diverting food and organic waste away from landfill, because that's where we have the most emissions occur. "But we don't want contamination in FOGO streams, because when we get contamination that FOGO then has to go into landfill as a response to that. "Making sure we get a good strong robust scheme is really what we're about here."