Despite cash incentives to entice residents, locals in one council area are still fuming over a switch to a three-bin FOGO system that led to changes in the frequency of red-bin collections.
Residents in Baw Baw Shire, east of Melbourne, are now required to throw their food scraps in the green-lid bin alongside their garden clippings.
It comes as part of a nationwide recycling initiative aimed at reducing household waste.
However, because the green FOGO bin will be collected weekly, the red general waste bin will be collected fortnightly instead of weekly.
To ease tension, the council introduced its “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Rebate” scheme, allowing residents to claim cash for compost bins and worm farms.
It said residents would earn 50 per cent (maximum of $50) of the cost of reusable sanitary and incontinence products bought by residents, or 50 per cent ($100 maximum) of the cost of reusable nappies and nursing products bought.
But the money was not enough to convince residents to jump on board.
More than 5,500 people have signed a petition (as of Tuesday morning) to reinstate weekly general waste collections in Baw Baw Shire.
Why are residents unhappy?
Petitioners call the move to fortnightly general waste collections “simply not practical” despite the council saying it can reduce landfill by recycling, composting and participating in FOGO collections.
Concerns have been raised over the “sanitation, hygiene, odour, pests and potential public health impacts,” especially as the weather warms.
“One of the most significant concerns raised is that Council has not adequately considered the practical implications of requiring households to store unavoidable household waste for up to two weeks, particularly where sanitary, medical and other unavoidable waste is generated,” the petition reads.
Council responds by implementing ‘Special Consideration Program’
After listening to residents, Mayor Kate Wilson announced the council had taken community feedback on board, and its solution to support households is through its Special Consideration Program (SCP) —aimed at helping people manage the absence of weekly red general rubbish collections.
The SCP is eligible for households that create additional waste from:
medical condition and/or disability,
two (or more) children under 4 years of age, in nappies,
and a large family, experiencing financial hardship.
If eligible, the SCP will provide an additional 120-litre general rubbish bin free of charge. A bin can be upgraded to a 240L bin, upon request.
However, the petition said the eligibility does not go far enough.
“While this initiative may assist some households with the volume of waste they generate, it does not address the community’s principal concern—the requirement to store unavoidable household waste contaminated by urine, faeces, blood and other bodily fluids for up to two weeks between collections,” it reads.
How much does council save by reducing red-bin collections?
Baw Baw Shire suggested more than half of the items in the average household’s general rubbish bin “could be composted or recycled.”
(Fotomedia)
James Robinson, Director of Infrastructure and Environment at Baw Baw Shire Council, defended the initiative to Yahoo News.
He said in the 2026/27 financial year, the cost savings from diverting and/or reducing 25 per cent of rubbish were estimated to be at least $1.156m per annum.
“Transportation of general waste is also more expensive,” he said.
“The change in the red bin collection cycle encourages the sorting of waste and diversion from landfill. Without diversion, the estimated impact on general waste disposal and levy costs is significant.”
RELATED:
Apart from reducing landfill waste, James explained that diverting organic material from the general rubbish bin will save money.
“Waste bin audit results in Baw Baw Shire show that around half of what is currently in the average red bin can go into the FOGO, recycling, or glass bins, leaving much less genuine rubbish,” he added.
The petition emphasised it is “not about opposing environmental sustainability”, but it calls on the council to find a “balanced solution that protects the environment while also recognising the health, hygiene and practical needs of residents”.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube.