TRC - Food scrap recycling trial

Trial for new food scrap recycling service

A group of 250 households in Tamworth are being asked to help their community navigate its way forward with recycling by taking part in a Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) trial.

Tamworth Regional Council Manager Waste and Resource Recovery, Morne Hattingh, today announced the trial will start early in April and explained how it is an important part towards meeting NSW Government waste diversion targets and establishing the Tamworth Organics Recycling facility on an approved site at Gidley.

“FOGO is a kerbside collection service that allows food scraps to be added to the green lid garden waste bin so it can be processed and recycled,” he said.

“Council has committed to introducing the service for 20,000 homes in Tamworth, Barraba, Manilla, Nundle and Kootingal at the end of next year once the Organics Recycling Facility is up and running but first we need a trial to fully understand how to run the service most effectively here.

“A trial is the only way to get a true indication of the amount of organics we can expect to see diverted from the red lid bin to the green lid bin.”

A letter has been delivered to the households invited to join the trial partially funded through a $502,000 through the Environmental Protection Authority’s Waste Less Recycle More Organics Collection grants program.

Householders will have the chance to attend an information session to find out more before choosing whether to get involved. Those residents who decide to go ahead will be given information packs with more detail about the trial including what can and can’t be put into the food organics collection.

Everyone who attends the information session, takes part in the trial and provides feedback will go in the running for one of four $500 Stay Regional Shop Regional Gift Cards.

During the trial, the participating households will also try options for different collection containers or caddies to sit in their kitchen. Residents will be asked for their feedback on which type of container they like best and whether they prefer to use a caddie liner.

Other important findings of the trial will include insights as to how effectively the FOGO service operates at multiple unit dwellings compared to freestanding homes

The biggest change for households during the trial will be a move to a fortnightly collection for their red lid bin instead of weekly.

“The strong expectation is that the need for a weekly red bin collection will be eliminated because food scraps – which may account for 10 to 15 percent of household waste – will be able to go in the green lid bin,’’ Mr Hattingh said.

“FOGO is all about reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and increasing recycling volumes.

“We know a fortnightly red lid bin collection is a significant change of habit for any household but our community has told us they want the opportunity to recycle more.

“The trial will provide the opportunity to identity any aspect we can refine for local householders before the full rollout of the FOGO service.

“We are very optimistic about this trial giving us the information we need to further plan for when the Tamworth Organics Facility will be up and running.”

Council expects to call for tenders for construction of the Tamworth Organics Facility in late May. The build is expected to take about nine months with the facility scheduled to start operating in July 2024.