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City of Albany 25 May 2022

Published on Wednesday, 25 May 2022 at 12:55:03 PM

City of Albany has been highly commended at the 2022 Waste Sorted Awards for the successful and effective implementation of the FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) bin collection service.

In 2021 the City transitioned to the FOGO system allowing residents to put food scraps into their limegreen lidded bin along with garden prunings for composting, instead of the general waste bin.

A number of important steps helped prepare residents for a smooth transition to FOGO, including significant community engagement such as pop-up displays at shopping centres and events, presentations to community groups, and home visits.

City staff also engaged with a number of stakeholders such as Department of Communities, WA Primary Health Alliance, disability service providers, and culturally and linguistically diverse groups.

A bin lid changeover and kitchen caddy delivery program in the lead up to the commencement of FOGO provided consistent bin lid colours and the tools to easily separate food waste in the home.

A comprehensive communications strategy included the delivery of a Waste Services Guide and bin stickers, along with print, social media, radio, television and cinema advertising.

The City’s Waste Team continues to support residents with fact sheets, social media posts, hand delivered postcards to assist households with overfull bins, phone support and home visits for residents requiring one-on-one support.

The Waste Sorted Awards judging panel were impressed by the care that was taken to identify community needs and come up with solutions that were tailored to the community.

Chief Executive Officer Andrew Sharpe said being highly commended for Albany’s FOGO implementation was a win for the City of Albany and the entire community.

“Implementation of FOGO was vital for the future of Albany’s environment and community,” he said.

“For Waste Sorted to acknowledge us as a highly commended Local Government for our FOGO roll out is recognition for the hard work that went into the transition.

“Our households have reduced the amount of waste going to landfill from kerbside bins by around 40% since the FOGO service began.

“Thank you to all the staff and contractors who worked together to make the FOGO transition a success and to our community who have embraced the change in their everyday lives.”

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