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Food waste recycling
Residents are now able to include food scraps in their fortnightly food and garden waste bin.
What can go in your food and garden waste bin?
The following items can be placed in your food and garden waste bin:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Egg shells
- Bread scraps
- Dairy products
- Cake scraps
- Loose tea leaves and coffee grounds
- Meat and seafood
- Tissue, serviettes, paper towel and shredded paper
- Food scraps
- Small branches
- Leaves
- Prunings
- Grass clippings
- Flowers
- Common weeds
What can't go in your food and garden waste bin?
The following items cannot be composted at the composting facility. Please ensure they do not end up in your food and garden waste bin.
- Plastic bags and plastic packaging (including bags, cling wrap, ties)
- Dog or cat droppings
- Kitty litter
- Household garbage and cigarette butts
- Nappies and baby wipes
- Coffee pods and takeaway coffee cups
- Tea bags
- Products labelled as compostable (such as coffee cups, plates and take away containers). Compostable bin liners are ok.
- Plant pots
- Tree stumps and ash
- Vacuum dust
- Hair (including pet hair)
- Paper plates and coffee cups
- Wooden icy pole sticks
- Scrap metal
- Recyclable items
- Glass
- Sharps, medicines, batteries and toys
- Bricks/concrete/soil
- Cardboard boxes / pizza boxes
Why have we introduced food recycling?
In the City of Whittlesea, the average garbage bin contains over 40% food waste. This ends up in landfill, producing harmful greenhouse gases.
By putting food scraps in the food and garden waste bin, we can reduce the amount of rubbish that ends up in landfill and turn food scraps into valuable compost material. Food waste is easy to keep out of landfill. FOGO is part of a plan to improve the way we manage waste. This will not only benefit the environment but also save money on landfill levies that are passed on to Council by the State Government.
Additional bin liners for your caddy
From 2 March 2022, all residential households will be able to collect a free roll of compostable liners annually from the Council Offices - 25 Ferres Blvd South Morang. Residents will need to present their proof of residency (rates notice/driver's licence). All households are entitled to one roll of compostable liners per financial year.
If you are unable to attend Council Offices during business hours, contact the City of Whittlesea on 9401 0558 or email waste.recycling@whittlesea.vic.gov.au
You can also purchase compostable liners yourself from most major supermarkets and retail stores such as Bunnings. You will need to ensure they are 100% compostable Australian Certified bags. The kitchen caddies are 7L, so aim for a bag size of 7L or 8L.
Alternatively, you don't need to use any liners. You can simply place food scraps directly into the food and garden waste bin and give it a wash after each use. You can also use newspaper to line the kitchen caddy to reduce mess in the bins. Newspaper can be recycled in the food and garden waste bin.
Frequently asked questions
Find out all you need to know about food waste recycling.