Food recycling for apartments

Inner West Council provides a weekly food organics garden organics (FOGO) service. Residents in apartment buildings can recycle their food scraps through green and maroon lid bins. By recycling food scraps Inner West residents are helping turn food waste into compost used by NSW farmers.

  • Apartment buildings can use green or maroon lid wheelie bins.
  • FOGO and garbage bins are collected every week, recycling is collected fortnightly. 
  • Buildings can request a 120 litre green lid bin or a larger 240 litre bin. Additional FOGO bins can be requested at no additional cost. 
  • Council will deliver FOGO benchtop bins and compostable liners on request. See below. 

What goes in my FOGO bin?

FOGO is a combined Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) food recycling service that turns your green lid bin contents into compost for farmers. Your green lid bin accepts all food scraps including meats, dairy and bones with your regular household garden organics.

Apartments with a green lid and maroon lid bin can use both to recycle their food scraps. Garbage and FOGO bins are collected weekly for apartments. 

Garbage, Recycling, FOGO and Food Recycling bin in a line

You will need a container to collect your food scraps in the kitchen and a green or maroon lid wheelie bin to present weekly for collection.

Your building should have a green or maroon lid bin for food scraps. If it doesn't, contact your Strata Manager or Strata Committee member to order a green lid FOGO bin for your building. 

Council can provide residents in apartments with a 5L or 7L benchtop bin. Please indicate whether you require a pack of liners with your order. Ask your building manager or caretaker if they have access to liners onsite before ordering. 

Order a FOGO benchtop bin 


7L benchtop bin pictured

You can use any container to transfer your food scraps – including meats, dairy, and bones – into your green or maroon lid wheelie bin.

Use your container or kitchen benchtop bin and compostable liners to easily transfer your scraps from kitchen to kerb:

  1. Line your kitchen benchtop bin with the compostable liners provided. You can also use newspaper or put your food scraps in 'nude’ (without a liner).
  2. Collect food scraps, expired food and old takeaway in your kitchen benchtop bin.
  3. Empty into your green or maroon lid bin as needed.
  4. Cover your scraps with leaves, branches or grass clippings. This will keep your bin smelling fresh.

Important notes

All expired, stale, rotten or freezer burnt foods must be removed from their packaging before going in the FOGO food recycling bin.

Only use certified compostable liners. No plastic or ‘biodegradable’ bags or liners. 

You will need a green lid or maroon lid bin to recycle your food scraps.

If your building doesn't have a green lid bin, you can request a 120 litre or 240 litre bin for your building. You can request an additional FOGO bin at no cost. 

Order a FOGO wheelie bin