Most households in Wollongong have now received their FOGO caddies, meaning they can start recycling food waste by putting it in their green bin.
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But some environmental enthusiasts have expressed confusion over the system - noting paper products are not included on either the Yes or No list included with each caddy and green bin sticker.
In other councils, including Shellharbour - which processes its own waste - and Kiama - which has its waste processed by SoilCo, like Wollongong - paper is clearly articulated as being allowed.
Households who took part in Wollongong's FOGO trial over the past year have also been allowed to place paper in the bin, with their caddies stating that paper towel and shredded paper should go in.
But Greens councillor Cath Blakey said Wollongong had decided to leave paper packaging off the FOGO collateral - despite it being allowed - in the interests of simplicity.
"You can put paper in, but we want to support people to use this in the easiest way possible and that means the focus is on getting their food waste out of the red bin and into the green one," she said.
She said examples of the type of paper best suited to the FOGO green bin collection were coffee filters, tea bags, greasy used paper towel and other paper already covered in food waste.
The council says other soiled boxes like pizza boxes and dirty bakery paper bags can also go in FOGO.
However, to get the best use out of other paper waste, clean and high quality paper and cardboard were best placed in the exisiting yellow bin collection so they could be recycled.
We still want to make sure as much paper as possible is recycled into new paper - good quality paper and cardboard should keep going into the recycling bin.
- Greens councillor Cath Blakey
"We still want to make sure as much paper as possible is recycled into new paper - good quality paper and cardboard should keep going into the recycling bin," she said.
She also said it was vital nothing but food and garden waste and the small number of paper items went into the green bin, as anything else could cause contamination.
Cr Blakey, a passionate advocate for the FOGO system, said almost all households in Wollongong had now received their caddy.
"By the end of this week everyone should have their caddy, which means that from next week everyone that has a green waste service will have a weekly collection," she said.
She said there had already been a good take up of the service, but that she had heard reports of some people being confused about how it operates.
"We've had people putting their caddies out on the kerb for collection, for example," she said.
She noted the caddy was designed as a simple way to store kitchen waste before it was transferred to the existing 240 litre green bin, which will now be collected weekly.
"It's just putting your food scraps in the bucket instead of your kitchen rubbish bin - it's a very simple change and it's going to reduce landfill," she said.
The other area of confusion, she said, was how to use the compostable bags that were delivered along with the caddies.
"You don't have to use the liners - they are just to contain it a bit more," she said.
"People have been given a years supply of them - and no one should run out, and the council will give people another year's supply.
"But if you want to use some paper to wrap your scraps in, or if you just want to put them straight into the big green bin that's ok too."
"The compostable bags are just about making it easy - and we don't want people to use plastic bags, even the biodegradable ones - which would contaminate the compost."
Advice from council about putting paper in FOGO
- Un-soiled paper and cardboard should go in your yellow-lidded recycling bin as per usual.
- That means all your Christmas boxes, wrapping paper and cardboard should be placed in your yellow-lidded bins for your fortnightly pick-up. This material is recycled into new cardboard boxes and paper at Visy's Smithfield Facility.
- However food soiled paper and cardboard, such as pizza boxes, paper towel or paper bags from the bakery, can be put into your FOGO caddy and/or green-lidded bin.
- We're asking residents to avoid putting newspaper in their kitchen caddies and green-lidded bins because the chemicals from the ink that's printed on newspapers make composting difficult. Instead, we encourage you to recycle your newspaper in your yellow-lidded bin.
- Tissues are another paper product that doesn't belong in your caddy. Tissues are a COVID-19 risk and to minimise safety concerns to all staff, we're asking residents to put their tissues in their usual red-lidded waste bins for the time being.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
