FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) & What Goes In Each

• Food Organics: Vegetable, fruit, meat & dairy scraps, tea bags, loose leaf tea & coffee grounds, bread, seafood (including shells), food leftovers & scraps, eggshells, out-of-date food (unpackaged),
• Garden Organics: Grass clippings, plant cuttings, leaves, flowers, weeds, twigs & branches.  
• Caddy Liners: Certified Australian Standard 4736 (compostable logo displayed).

These CAN go in:

• Paper: Clean newspaper and cardboard, office paper (not shredded), magazines, envelopes, paper bags.
• Cardboard: Packaging/cardboard boxes (A3 size, clean and flattened), milk and juice cartons (not foil lined/long life).
• Metal containers: Aluminum cans and lids, steel cans and lids, clean aluminum foil (5cm min. scrunched ball).
• Glass containers: Glass bottles & jars (lids 5cm and larger), broken glass.
• Plastic containers: Please rinse your plastic bottles & containers from the kitchen, bathroom and laundry, fruit punnets, yogurt tubs, and plastic lids over 5cm diameter.

These CAN'T go in:

• Plastic bags:  Please leave your recycling loose in the bin.

• E-Waste: This should be taken to the West Metro Recycling Centre (Cnr Lemnos and Brockway).

• Large Cardboard Boxes: Please remove tape and fold the boxes, then take to the West Metro Recycling Centre for free (Cnr Lemnos and Brockway).

• Bulk Polysytrene: Free to take to the West Metro Recycling Centre for recycling (Cnr Lemnos and Brockway).

• Hygiene Products: Sanitary items, toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, dental floss, disposable razors, make-up, face masks, medical waste such as Covid-19 tests.
• Textiles: Old/damaged clothing & textiles.
• Non-recyclable packaging: Biodegradable and plant-based “compostable” packaging (e.g., coffee cups), long-life cartons (foil lined),
• Items not accepted in the Recycling bin: Soft plastics, small plastic items under 5cm diameter (e.g. bottle lids, bread tags), plastic items not accepted in recycling (e.g. plant pots, buckets, meat trays), ceramics & terracotta, polystyrene, inorganic crystal-based kitty litter.
• Items not accepted in the FOGO bin: Kitty litter, paper towel, food-soiled cardboard & paper, shredded paper, tissues, small-animal used pet bedding, dog poo and manure.
• E-Waste: Should be taken to the West Metro Recycling Centre (Cnr Lemnos and Brockway)
• Polysytrene: Free to take to the West Metro Recycling Centre for recycling (Cnr Lemnos and Brockway).

A new website has been launched to help the people of Perth to Recycle Right.

The (recycleright.wa.gov.au) encourages and assists residents and businesses in Western Australia to recycle, reduce their rubbish and buy more recycled products.

Developed by the ‘Recycle Right’ education program, the much-anticipated update of the Recycle Right app features:

• Which Bin – find out at a glance, what goes in which bin along with what doesn’t belong there and the correct methods of disposal.
• An ever-growing A–Z list of specific items and what to do with them.
• Find My Nearest – an extensive database of drop-off locations or recycling facilities in Perth for items such as batteries, car parts, building/demolition waste, hazardous household waste and more.

The website also provides a Resources Hub of worksheets, how-to guides, fact sheets and templates.

Information on both the app and website is tailored to the full assortment of bin systems found in the Perth metropolitan area: 3-bin FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics), 3-bin GO (Garden Organics) and 2-bin.  

Apartments and multi‑unit dwellings are currently being assessed to determine suitability for FOGO services. The Town are working with Strata, Owners and Residents at apartments/multi-unit dwellings to review waste services. FOGO bin delivery to multi-unit dwellings will be proceed in partnership with Veolia. Delivery should begin in the second half of June 2026 and continue through the remainder of 2026.

While waiting for your FOGO bin continue using your General Waste (red lid) bin for food scraps.

The kitchen caddy is a small, dishwasher safe container used to collect food scraps. It comes with a roll of compostable liners for ease of use. Simply line the caddy, fill it with scraps, tie the bag and place it in your FOGO bin. When you need more liners make sure that they are certified compostable. You can also use newspaper or no liner at all if you prefer.

While you wait, you can collect food scraps using any container with a lid, newspaper, compostable liners or paper bags.

Once the FOGO bin arrives, in your bin store, simply empty your food scraps into it. You may wrap scraps in newspaper or tip them in loose.

Apartments and multi‑unit dwellings are currently being assessed to determine suitability for FOGO services. The Town are working with Strata, Owners and Residents at apartments/multi-unit dwellings to review waste services.

Kitchen Caddy deliveries to multi-unit dwellings will be delivered in the second half of June 2026 and continue through the remainder of 2026. You will also receive a guide on what goes in each bin, and a roll of compostable liners. This will be delivered to a single point of contact within the property.

If your apartment or multi-unit dwelling has not yet received a FOGO bin or your kitchen caddy, please check with your Strata, building management or Owner on the status of the FOGO roll out for your building. They can contact the Town of Cambridge on 9347 6000 to make sure we have stock available for you to collect from the Customer Service Desk located in the Administration Building at 1 Bold Park Drive, Floreat.

Once the roll of liners runs out you will need to purchase more, all supermarkets stock them, just look for the compostable seedling logo.

• Coles
• Woolworths
• The Good Grocer
• Bunnings
• BioTuff online
• My Eco Bag Online
• Compost-A-Pak
• BioBag

However, we suggest doing none of the above. The caddy can go nude, and rinsed out with cleaning vinegar to after each empty.  If you prefer that it doesn’t go nude - you test out lining it with paper shopping bags, newspaper, junk mail or even unwanted mail/envelopes. 

Instructions for a newspaper origami caddy liner. Origami Caddy Liners

For multi‑unit dwellings, bin collections will be reviewed jointly by the Strata, the waste contractor, and the Town to determine the most suitable collection process for each property. Depending on the outcome of this review, waste service charges may change if collection frequencies need to increase or decrease.

The preferred collection schedule for multi‑unit dwellings is:

• FOGO (green lid): collected weekly
• General Waste (red lid): collected fortnightly, alternating with recycling
• Recycling (yellow lid): collected fortnightly

However, collection frequencies may vary depending on the number of bins at the property and the amount of waste generated by residents. Adjustments may be made to ensure the service meets the needs of each complex.

The fees for the addition of the FOGO service at multi-unit dwellings will be added to the Rates Notice for the 2026/2027 financial year, sent to all property owners. For many properties in multi-unit dwellings, they will pay a share of the disposal cost and this will be calculated by the Rates Department within the Town before being added to the Notice. Please find the Fees and Charges information here.

The Town will host FOGO information sessions at the Cambridge Library. Learn the why, what and how of this cleaner, more efficient system. Click here to find an upcoming session.

Animal waste and kitty litter should be placed in the general waste bin. Pet waste cannot go into the FOGO bin because it may contain harmful bacteria, parasites and pathogens that don’t break down safely in composting systems. 

Following the State Government Strategy supporting the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2007, all Perth and Peel local governments are required to implement a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) three bin system for all residents by 2025.

A 120L FOGO bin is available for properties under 300m2, homes in the Perry Lakes Estate and Ocean Mia and for units in multi-unit dwellings that do not share waste services. We welcome your feedback and will consider broader access to the smaller bin as part of future service reviews.

Your old Garden Organics (GO) bin was designed for mulching, which involves shredding garden materials. Food scraps contaminate this process because they can’t be shredded and break down differently. FOGO uses a composting process instead, which is perfect for food scraps, that’s why they can now go in your green-lid FOGO bin.

At this stage there will be no change to your collection days. You will be formally notified if changes need to be made.

Around half of what normally goes into the general waste bin is organic material, and from Monday 29 June 2026, all of that can go into the available FOGO bin, which is collected weekly.

Councils that already use FOGO report that residents are often surprised by how little end up in their red lid bin once food scraps are removed. We encourage you to try the new system first before deciding if you need more general waste bins or extra collections at the complex.

The amount of food waste going into your FOGO, when FOGO is used correctly, reduces waste going into the General Waste bin by about half, which helps with odours too.

Here are some simple ways to manage nappy smells in your bins:

• Wrap the nappy into itself using the tabs.
• Seal nappies tightly into plastic bags before placing in the garbage bin.
  • Use a plastic bag from bread or frozen vegetables.
  • You can purchase scented plastic bags near the nappies in stores.
• Where possible, tip the solid contents of the nappy down the toilet before disposing.

• Store bins in the shade where possible.
• Make sure the garbage lid closes properly.
• Ensure the bin has no cracks or splits, request a new bin or repair on the Bin Request page.
• Rinse or pressure spray the bin regularly.
• Sprinkle baking soda or clay based kitty litter into the bottom.

Here are some simple ways to manage smells in your bins:

• Seal hygiene products and meat trays tightly into plastic bags before placing in the garbage bin.
  • Use a plastic bag from bread or frozen vegetables.
  • You can purchase scented plastic bags in the baby section in stores.

• Store bins in the shade where possible.
• Make sure the garbage lid closes properly.
• Ensure the bin has no cracks or splits, request a new bin or repair on the Bin Request page.
• Clean your bin regularly with a rinse or pressure spray.
• Keep the bin dry, by sprinkling baking soda or clay based kitty litter into the bottom.

With the introduction of FOGO, the amount of material going into general waste bins at multi-unit dwellings is expected to decrease, as food and garden organics will now be collected seperately each week. This may allow for a reduction in the number or size of shared general waste bins over time.

If you are a single unit within a multi-unit dwelling and you have your own individual waste services, your standard set-up will likely be:

• 120L or 240L FOGO
• 240L recycling
• 120L general waste

Your property would only need to place out two types of bins each week. One week will be green-lid FOGO and red lid general waste and the following week will be green lid FOGO and yellow lid recycling. Collection frequencies may vary depending on the number of bins at the property and the amount of waste generated by residents. Adjustments may be made to ensure the service meets the needs of each complex. Some complexes have their collection days for general waste, recycling and FOGO on different days.

The initial FOGO rollout in 2024 applied to single‑unit dwellings, and the 2026 rollout extends FOGO services to apartments and multi‑unit dwellings in line with the Waste Authority’s Best Practice FOGO Guidelines. The Town will also consider opportunities for businesses on a case‑by‑case basis, noting that private waste‑collection contracts may be arranged independently.

FOGO material is taken to Veolia’s Organics Composting Facility in North Bannister, where it is checked for contamination and processed through an aerobic composting system. The finished compost can be used by farmers, industry, parks, gardens and for land rehabilitation, but only if the contamination is kept low. That is why it is important to put the right things in the FOGO bin so we can produce the highest quality compost possible.

All Perth and Peel councils are required under the State Government’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery 2030 Strategy to provide a three-bin FOGO system to all dwellings. In line with this requirement, the Town of Cambridge has introduced FOGO as a standard service for all dwellings as of July 2026.

• Check if today is your bin day by using the bin day search tool above to make sure.
• Waste collection happens between 6am and 6pm, Monday to Friday. Some routes start from 6am with an exemption for busy or safety‑sensitive roads.
• If your bin was out by 6am and was still missed: Call our Waste Contractor Customer Relations team on 1300 761 908. Or complete the missed bin collection form. (Residents)  Missed collections must be reported within 48 hours. After 48 hours, you may need to book a paid return collection or wait for your next bin day.
• If you forgot to put your bin out, or didn’t report the missed service within 48 hours: You can arrange a paid return collection by calling the Town of Cambridge Customer Service Team on 9347 6000.

If your bin is damaged (cracked body, broken lid, or missing wheels) or has been stolen, please call our Waste Contractor Customer Relations team on 1300 761 908, or complete the relevant form below

Damage Bin (Residential)

Damaged Bin (Commercial)

Missing Bin (Residential)

Missing Bin (Commercial)

• Store all bins on your property between collections, not on the footpath, verge or street. Bins left out can block pathways, create safety hazards, cause litter if knocked over, and are more likely to be damaged or stolen.
• Keep bins in a shaded, cool spot where possible. This helps reduce smells and stops flies, ants, and rodents from being attracted to the bin.
• Always keep the lid fully closed. A closed lid keeps pests out, prevents wind‑blown litter, and helps avoid contamination.
• If your property is vacant or not being rented, keep your bins inside the premises to prevent contamination, loss or damage.
• During demolition or construction, please contact our Waste team to arrange temporary removal. A fee may apply when the bins are returned.

Please contact the Town and provide your property address. Our Waste team will assess the situation and let you know if any changes or further action are needed.

Please contact the Town and provide your property address. Our Waste team will assess the situation and let you know if any changes or further action are needed.

Yes, bins are collected on all public holidays except Good Friday (Easter), Christmas Day (25 December) and New Year’s Day (1 January). If your collection falls on one of these days, your bin will be picked up the following day.

Please report using the below form

Illegal Dumping Request

Visit our Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) to learn what items are considered hazardous and where you can safely take them for disposal.