Ever wondered what happens to your food and garden waste after we collect it?  

We took a visit to Bio Gro’s composting facility in Dandenong South to see how they start turning your garden waste and kitchen scraps into compost. 

First they need to remove the nasties that don’t belong in FOGO bins. The ‘pickers’ who screen conveyer belts of material by hand remove almost a cubic metre of ‘bad stuff’ every 2 hours! This can include nappies, syringes, textiles, e-waste, plastics, metal and the occasional dead animal.

Tips to cut FOGO contamination 

Please no plastic bags 

Plastic bags are among the first things you notice among the piles of mostly green and brown garden waste unloaded by council trucks at Bio Gro. Bags filled with FOGO material have to be picked off the conveyer belt and the material isn’t turned into compost. So please don’t use a plastic bag to collect your food or garden waste.  

Do you really need a liner?

You don’t have to line your FOGO caddy. If you want to, use only the lime-green cornstarch liners. Or line it with small amounts of newspaper or paper towel – these soak up liquid and will break down.

Don’t throw that possum in your FOGO 

Yes – the Bio Gro team has to deal with the occasional dead possum, bird or rodent. These are a health hazard for picking staff. If you find a dead animal put it in a sturdy plastic bag, knot it tightly and put it in your general waste bin. Pet poo is a no-no too. 

Oyster and mussel shells 

Most seafood shells can go in your FOGO bin because Bio Gro’s shredding machine can break them down. But mussel and oyster shells are very hard and won’t shatter, so put them in your general waste bin. 

The little things 

Stickers on fruit and vegetables aren’t welcome in your FOGO, so check your food scraps before you put them in the bin. Most tea bags contain micro-plastics so keep these out of your FOGO too. Put fruit and vegie stickers and most tea bags in your general waste bin. Search ‘tea bags’ in our A to Z of recycling and waste for more on these.

Think twice at Christmas and Easter 

Holidays are the worst times for contamination. If your waste and recycling bins are full after family celebrations or hosting guests, put the overflow aside for the next collection day. Don’t just dump it in your FOGO bin. 

Deal with e-waste separately 

E-waste like batteries, chargers and appliances doesn’t belong in any of your kerbside bins. It can start fires in our waste trucks. Find a drop-off point at our E-waste drop-off page.

Textiles 

Textiles like clothing, sheets, towels and curtains aren’t for your FOGO or recycling bins. They can go in your waste bin. Or you can search ‘textiles’ in our A to Z guide for places to recycle or look out for our textile drop-off days.  

Unexpected things you can put in your FOGO 

Avocado pips are okay. So are weeds and citrus tree prunings infested by gall wasp. Hot compost heats to between 55 and 75 degrees which kills weed seeds, pathogens and wasp eggs. 

Find out more 

If you’re unsure whether to put something in your FOGO or not, you’ll find all the answers in our A to Z guide to recycling and waste in Boroondara.

Take a FOGO tour

We're running a tour of the Bio Gro organics facility on 17 September but it is now fully booked. You can register below to join the waitlist, or keep an eye out for our next tour.