FOGO trial awarded

Western Australia’s South Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC) and City of Melville have received the Avoid Recover Protect – Waste Management Award at this year’s Infinity Awards, for the first Perth Metropolitan 3-bin Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) trial.

The Infinity Awards acknowledge and celebrate working towards a better waste future through improved waste practices and innovative waste solutions. 

The 3-bin FOGO trial was rolled out to approximately 7,000 households in the City of Melville as part of a joint project between the Cities of Fremantle and Melville, Town of East Fremantle and the SMRC. 

The trial demonstrated that this system achieves greater than 65 percent diversion from landfill, reduces processing costs, produces an Australian Standard Compost and received strong support and participation from the community.

City of Melville Councillor, Doug Thompson, said, “The recognition is a testament to the outstanding contributions and hard work by all of those involved. 

“Staff and residents should be incredibly proud of this collective achievement, which highlights the importance of collaboration and an evidence based approach to
decision making.”

The success of the project will now see the system rolled out throughout to the remaining residents in the City of Melville, alongside the City of Fremantle and Town of East Fremantle in the second half of 2019.

Alongside this achievement, the SMRC and the Waste and Recycling Industry Association of WA, Cleanaway WA, SUEZ WA and Western Australian Local Government Association also received a Highly Commended recognition for the development of Statewide Guidelines for Kerbside Recycling in the Avoid Recover Protect – Waste
Management category.