Following the federal government’s bid to further separate different forms of waste, households across Australia are expected to receive another garbage bin.

Victorian households have a purple-lid bin meant for glass products, including jars and bottles. Photo credit: James Ross / AAP via Broadsheet.
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The green bin, also known as FOGO (Food Organics Garden Organics), is strictly reserved for garden organics but may also be allowed to store food organics which are then composted, depending on which part of the country you live in.

The federal government was reportedly committed to providing all households with a FOGO bin by 2023.

However, rollout so far has been slow, and the responsibility was left in the hands of local councils.

Randwick City Council in Sydney's east went ahead and introduced the FOGO bins earlier this year. The local council has reported that residents successfully diverted around 1,400 tonnes of food and organic waste from going to landfills.

Read on if you want to know more about how garbage bins are currently allotted to each state and territory in Australia.

NSW

Most households in NSW are given three bins: a general waste bin (red lid), a recycling bin (yellow lid), and a garden vegetation bin (green lid).

For residents in the Inner West and City of Sydney council areas, some households may have an extra bin for food scraps, indicated by a maroon lid.

Victoria

Many Victorian households have a fourth, purple lid bin - which is meant for glass products such as jars and bottles - in addition to the general waste, recycling, and FOGO bins.

Victoria is the first Australian state to start the initiative, having rolled out the fourth bin into thirteen local councils. All Victorian households are expected to have four bins within their disposal by 2030.

Queensland

QLD residents divide their bins into general waste, recycling, and garden waste.

The Sunshine State local government is also currently conducting a one-year trial of the FOGO bins in three select councils – Townsville City Council, Rockhampton Regional Council, and Lockyer Valley Regional Council.

South Australia

South Australia adopts the same three-bin system as NSW and Queensland - a red bin for general waste, a yellow bin for recyclables, and a green FOGO bin for biodegradable items such as food scraps and garden scraps, and used paper towels and tissues.

Tasmania

Residents of Tasmania have successfully utilised the FOGO bins, and the standard household rubbish bin marked with either a red, dark green or black lid. The container for their recyclables has a yellow lid.

ACT

Most households in the nation's capital have a standard 140-litre red-lid garbage bin and a 240-litre yellow-lid recycling bin. Residents may apply for the 240L green bin for garden organics for a one-off registration fee of $50.

The rollout of FOGO bins in the suburbs of Belconnen, Bruce, Cook, and Macquarie will start from this week onwards.

Western Australia

The typical WA household adopts the three-bin garden organics (GO) system - the standard red bin for general waste, the yellow bin for recyclables, and an additional green-lidded bin for plant materials, which can also process food scraps and paper products.

There are also those with the two-bin system - one yellow bin and one red bin.

Northern Territory

The Top End residents operate using the two-bin system. Locals divide their waste between a red-lidded bin for general waste and a yellow-lidded bin for recyclables.

 

[Muru]

In the Northern Beaches (Sydney) LGA we already have 4 bins .... standard red, yellow (bottles / plastic) green PLUS a blue one for paper / cardboard.

 

[traceyd]

In the Northern Beaches (Sydney) LGA we already have 4 bins .... standard red, yellow (bottles / plastic) green PLUS a blue one for paper / cardboard.

Sounds like a much better idea than one for glass. I think mine would go out once a year for glass.

 

[Jonathan Leane]

It's a very fetching colour...

But do you put scraps straight in there without bagging them? Won't it smell?

 

[Xe]

I love the colour combos!

 

[JenP]

Here in the Yarra Valley we await the 4th bin with Instructions on 'what goes where' would be very helpful. I've seen some ridiculous use of bins eg yellow recycle bin with soiled nappies.....didn't think soiled nappies were recyclable !!!!

 

[JTrus]

It's a very fetching colour...

But do you put scraps straight in there without bagging them? Won't it smell?

In Harvey Shire WA we are supplied with compostible bags to put our food scraps in

 

[JayKay]

My Council has the FOGO bins (Food Organics and Garden Organics), where we put our garden vegetation plus food scraps, but no cooked bones, tea bags or fruit & vegie stickers.
We can only use compostable bags (100% corn starch) or newspaper to wrap the scraps in, or none at all.
In warm or hot weather, the bins smell ++, ie rotten!

 

[Liz]

The smell is what would worry me, as I clean all the bins at our unit complex, you wouldn't believe what people put in the recycling bins. There needs to be a good media education push for some people.

 

[Vinylted]

A couple of Melbourne councils that went to a four bin system, with one for food scraps, went to fortnightly pickup at the same time,
the stink was horrendous!