Queensland announces $151m splash on organic food waste bin rollout

Hundreds of local councils across one state will soon have a new bin system as the government splashes $151m to stop organic waste going to landfill.

The Queensland government will spend more than $150 million expanding the rollout of FOGO bins. Picture: Supplied.

Queensland has forked out $151 million dollars to expand the rollout of new organic waste wheelie bins into households across the south east parts of the state.

More than one million new lime-green lidded bins are set to hit street curbs as part of the Palaszczuk government’s billion-dollar plan to drive down greenhouse gases.

State Deputy Premier Steven Miles said Queensland aims to halve the amount of food waste generated by 2030 and achieve a minimum organics recycling rate of 70 percent.

“Currently, most garden and food waste ends up in landfill, where it emits methane gas and leaves significant organic resources wasted,” Mr Miles said.

The bin rollout will be funded under the Palaszczuk government’s $1.1 billion Recycling and Jobs Fund. Picture: Supplied.

“Organic resources can be processed into high value compost, mulch, and soil products that can be used for a range of things, like tree planting, soil improvement, and revegetation projects.

“This means that important nutrients and resources in food scraps will be reused and put back into the environment as compost, keeping it out of landfill and putting food waste to good use.”

While more than 92 per cent of Queensland households own a recycling bin, just 17 per cent own a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) bin.

It’s estimated about 2.5 million tonnes of food are thrown out by Aussie households each year.

Only 27 per cent of Australia’s local councils have rolled out the three-bin FOGO system to homes Picture: Supplied.

The federal government recently scrapped its national target to collect organic waste in kerbside bins by 2023, shoving it to the end of the decade.

Food waste makes up about three per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, and costs the economy about $40 billion a year.

Despite the FOGO bin system being introduced in Australia more than a decade ago, just 27 per cent of local councils nationally have rolled out organic waste green bins to homes and businesses.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Brisbane, Ipswich and Lockyer Valley have shown a strong interest in trialling food organic recycling.

“With the support of the Queensland Government, we will see even more households transitioning to new green-top bins in the coming years,” Mr Schrinner said.

Originally published as Queensland announces $151m splash on organic food waste bin rollout