FOGO Apartments Engagement Program

This resource is for:

Building and strata managers of apartments in the Inner West
Residents renting or owning an apartment in the Inner West

three community members standing in front of an apartment holding FOGO benchtop bins

Why is food scraps recycling important?

Recycling food scraps is one of the easiest and best ways individuals can reduce their environmental impact on a day-to-day basis.

Council’s green lid bin food scraps recycling service, FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics), has been available to apartment buildings across the Inner West since 2021 and to households since 2023. This service has allowed residents to take meaningful action to reduce their environmental footprint.

When food scraps end up in landfill, they produce methane gas (a greenhouse gas that is more harmful than carbon dioxide). The good news is that FOGO recycles food scraps into compost, resulting in many positive environmental outcomes. It reduces the production of these gases while improving soil quality and supporting NSW farmers to grow food that ends up on our plates.

We know from our 2024 Community Satisfaction Survey that:

89% of residents are aware of the FOGO service and 90% are at least somewhat committed to food recycling
69% of residents correctly dispose of food scraps using the FOGO bins. However, those living in townhouses and apartments are more likely to dispose food scraps in the red garbage bins instead.

With nearly 113,000 residents – 70% of the community – living in townhouses and apartments, a well-organised FOGO system in your building can make a real difference.

How can you make an impact?

FOGO has been available to apartments since 2021, but participation varies between buildings, especially where tenant turnover is high and newcomers are unfamiliar with food recycling.

We've found that a building manager, strata committee and/or resident championing the service is key to successfully integrating FOGO. The basics of the role include:

Ensuring that bin rooms and bin bay areas are well set up and that residents have access to FOGO bins
Keeping a stock of liners and benchtop bins available
Providing new tenants with a Welcome Pack introducing them to FOGO

Those looking to make FOGO successful may also wish to:

Maintain regular communication via noticeboards, emails, and digital channels
Monitor participation and support proper use
Collaborating with Council to resolve ongoing issues

By setting up an easy and well-supported FOGO system, your building can contribute to a more sustainable Inner West. A little effort goes a long way!

Image of a flyer that reads Food Recycling for Apartments

What challenges do apartments face?

We know that waste management in apartment buildings comes with unique challenges. This may include:

Lack of awareness about FOGO being a key barrier to people recycling their food scraps, especially in buildings with high tenancy turnover.
Research shows that concerns about smells and pests is the greatest barrier to participating in FOGO (EPA Community Survey 2020).
The extra effort to take FOGO to bins located in basement or carpark levels can discourage participation, particularly when garbage and recycling chutes or bins are available on residential levels.
Limited space in small kitchens can make storing a FOGO benchtop bin more challenging.

By addressing these challenges, apartment buildings can make FOGO more accessible and convenient for all residents.

How can Council help?

The Waste Busters team is working with apartment buildings to increase awareness of FOGO and help to get the FOGO system right with the overall aim of increasing the amount of food scraps recycled through the green lid FOGO bins. Getting it right helps remove common challenges and reduces the workload as the process is smoother and more efficient for both residents and building staff.

What the program involves:

Visual inspection of the green lid FOGO (and burgundy lid Food Recycling bins) to see how well the bins are being used
Improvement of bin room signage, bin placement and accessibility
Provision of information to residents about the FOGO service