Western Australia’s Environment Minister, Matthew Swinbourn, has stood by the decision to tighten restrictions on what residents can throw into their green-lidded FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) bins, despite mounting criticism over a lack of clear communication.

Under the quiet updates made by Waste Authority WA, several items previously deemed acceptable—including used pizza boxes, tea bags, paper towels, and pet waste—have been stripped from the list. Households are now instructed to only discard unpackaged food waste, garden waste, and certified compostable liners in their green bins.

Stricter Rules to Combat Compost Contamination

Defending the policy shift, Mr. Swinbourn explained that the new guidelines are vital to protecting the integrity of the composting process and ensuring recycled waste can actually be reused in the circular economy.

"We've obviously had incidents where we've seen significant contamination of FOGO in particular areas, particularly in the South West where there was a lot of FOGO infected by plastics," Mr. Swinbourn said. "The Waste Authority has done that additional work and made the recommendations to ensure that FOGO, when it's processed, can continue to be used in a circular way."

He emphasized that the changes represent "guidance" rather than strict state-directed bylaws, leaving local governments with the flexibility to manage waste collections in their own jurisdictions.

Concerns Over Confusing Public Information

However, local councils and community members have expressed frustration over the rollout. The updated guidelines were published online in July with little fanfare, and councils have only recently begun sharing the new rules on social media.

The sudden shift means much of the informational material printed directly on household kitchen caddies and green bins during the FOGO rollout is now completely incorrect, sparking fears of widespread confusion.

Mark Irwin, president of the WA Local Government Association (WALGA), has urged the state government to spearhead a comprehensive communication campaign to help residents adjust. In response, Mr. Swinbourn argued that the responsibility for updating bin stickers and localized messaging rests firmly with local councils.

"Stickers on bins are a matter that's managed by local governments, and they'll make their decisions as to whether or not they want to update that guidance," the Minister remarked.

Fortnightly Red Bin Pickups to Stay

The FOGO controversy comes amid ongoing friction over changes to general waste collection. In many areas, the introduction of the FOGO system has been accompanied by a reduction in red-lidded general waste collections from weekly to fortnightly.

Despite calls to restore weekly red bin collections to ease the burden on families, Mr. Swinbourn ruled out any reversal of the policy.

"I don't think collecting weekly is a reasonable change; the whole program is focused on changing people's behavior and reducing the amount of stuff that goes into landfill," he said, warning that contaminated FOGO batches ultimately end up in landfill anyway.