A Little Scrap Goes a Long Way: Small Actions, Big Impact
Forbes Shire Council is joining forces with seven neighbouring Councils and NetWaste to encourage residents to “get our scrap together” by making the most of their green-lidded Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) bins.
The Scrap Together campaign highlights how small actions, like placing food scraps into the FOGO bin instead of the red-lidded bin, can make a big difference.
Forbes Shire Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said the campaign will help build on the success of the FOGO service, which has been available to Forbes households since 2016.
“This is an important initiative that will motivate our community to make the most of their FOGO bins. It’s about making a difference at home, one small action at a time. After all, a little scrap goes a long way,” the Mayor said.
EPA Executive Director of Programs & Innovation, Alexandra Geddes said diverting food and garden waste is vital.
“With Greater Sydney on track to run out of landfill space by 2030, diverting organic waste is critical to ease pressure on the system and prevent a looming waste crisis,” Ms Geddes said.
Food waste makes up about a third of what currently goes into red bins, where it produces methane gas in landfill - 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. By using FOGO, residents can help turn food and garden waste into nutrient-rich compost instead.
“In Forbes alone, an average of 1,300 tonnes of food and garden waste is collected from kerbside FOGO bins each year – waste that’s being transformed into compost instead of going to landfill. It’s a great start, but there’s more work to do with food scraps still making up a large part of red-lid bins,” the Mayor said.
Forbes is proud to be a lead player in FOGO initiatives, with several leading FOGO businesses operating in our shire and helping set the standard for waste reduction and recycling.
Funded by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), Scrap Together is a joint initiative between NetWaste, Forbes Shire, Bathurst Regional, Dubbo Regional, Lithgow City, Mid-Western Regional, Narromine Shire, Orange City and Parkes Shire Councils.
The community education campaign will run for four months, commencing September 2025.
For more information about how to use your FOGO service, visit www.epa.nsw.gov.au/fogo
