Hills Shire: Feedback sought on NSW government’s FOGO mandate

The Hills Shire Council is calling for residents’ feedback on a rollout of food recycling bins, helping to meet the state’s target of these bins being in every home by 2030.

The Hills Shire Council has announced a move which could see residents start scrapping their food scraps into green bins.

This plan is part of a broader push for NSW councils to roll out designated food organics and garden organics (FOGO) bins in every home.

By 2030, the NSW Government aims to reduce the total volume of trash generated by each resident by 10 per cent.

With greater Sydney’s landfill set to reach capacity in just 15 years, the government has also set an ambitious target of reaching a 60 per cent reduction in litter by 2030.

By 2030, the NSW Government aims to see FOGO bins in every home.

Randwick, Woollahra and Penrith have already implemented FOGO bins, and this scheme has been trialled by both the City of Sydney Council and Canterbury-Bankstown Council.

In February, the Inner West Council also announced the rollout of small, purple-lid bins for residents’ food scraps.

Now, Hills Shire mayor Dr Peter Gangemi is seeking residents’ feedback on a plan to place food and garden waste in the green-lid bin.

In a statement Dr Gangemi stressed the importance of the community’s input as this change could be one of many to the way waste is collected in The Hills.

Mayor Gangemi is encouraging Hills residents to tell council what they think of this plan.

“(Our residents) have a vested interest in how council and its contractors plan to meet waste targets, including reducing waste and recycling,” he said.

“We are working on our long-term plan that aims to meet state government targets, but also provides best value and service to our residents.

“We want to … make our waste, recycling and green waste services as efficient as possible, while also being environmentally conscious and cost effective in the process.”

Green-lid bins could soon be where Hills residents put their food scraps.

Currently, residents in the urban parts of The Hills have access to red, yellow and green-lid bins.

The plan for FOGO recycling bins would see food scraps moved from the red-lid bin and instead be placed into the green one.

Hills Shire residents can have their say in-person at pop-up events throughout March and April. They can also give feedback in a 10 minute online survey.