Council has committed to introducing a Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) collection service in the municipality.

This will see organic material from Warrnambool households collected and turned into compost rather than going into landfill.

Households will receive bins, kitchen caddies and compostable bin liners.

The municipality has 10 kerbside collection areas or “tranches”. The FOGO service will be progressively rolled out to each tranche.

Council believes a FOGO kerbside collection across the municipality could have significant long-term financial benefits by reducing disposal to landfill costs.

It would also bring significant environmental benefits such as reducing the waste going to landfill, recovery of valuable resources and reduction in greenhouse gases.

Most councils in Victoria offer a green waste service and the number offering a combined food and garden collection service is increasing.

Diverting FOGO from Warrnambool garbage bins has the potential to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 4,000 tonnes of CO2 e (carbon dioxide equivalent) annually.

This equates to removing 857 cars off the road every year.