FOGO Organic Waste Collection

We strongly encourage you to be aware of what you are throwing away and think about whether there are ways this could be reduced – check out some top tips on our website: Reducing Waste.

If you do need extra rubbish space, extra or larger bins, check out the pricing and available bins from Smart Environmental.

No. Biodegradable/compostable bags, liners, products and packaging should not go in the FOGO bin. These will generally have a paper or plastic base (materials which are not accepted in this bin) - these all go into the red bin for landfill.

No, bin liners of any kind should not be used as they cannot be accepted for FOGO processing.

None of the materials which might be used to line a bin or wrap waste (e.g. plastic, compostable plastic, paper) are able to be accepted for this processing and it is very difficult to get these out once they're mixed in with collections.

Give your FOGO bin a rinse out with the hose after each collection to reduce build-up of residue and odours. You can use newspaper to wrap food scraps.

There are a number of things that can help reduce odour from your FOGO bin, including:

• Reducing food waste before the bin is needed – use leftovers before they expire, take care in food purchasing and preparation to reduce waste
• Keeping a dedicated ‘food scraps’ container in the bottom or your fridge or freezer to chill smelly items until collection day
• Layering scraps with garden waste
• Sprinkling scraps with baking soda
• Hosing out the bin after each collection
• Storing the bin in a shady spot and keep the lid closed.

No – we encourage households to re-purpose another container to be used as an indoor caddy. We took this approach because:

• Not all households want to use an indoor kitchen caddy, and those who do will have different spaces and preferences. This approach supports households to use something which matches the look, space and function flows of their kitchen
• Re-use/re-purposing is a great way to reduce waste! Much better than Council purchasing thousands of new plastic caddies.

FOGO bins can work in compliment with home composting systems you might be using at home. There are many food materials which are not recommended for home composting (unless you are using a bokashi system) which can be put into your FOGO bin. These include for example:

• Meat and bones
• Processed foods
• Dairy products
• Problematic weeds, lawn clippings, citrus, onions and other items which can cause problems with your compost if used too heavily.

Random checks will be undertaken on bins to ensure the correct materials are inside.

Your bin may be stickered if there are significant issues with the contents. The sticker should say what materials were found – and whether the bin was able to be emptied or not. Significant contamination will likely mean your bin is not emptied, as this would introduce too much wrong material into the truck body. If this happens, you will need to remove problem material and wait until your next collection day. In most cases, collection trucks will not return to collect bins which have been stickered for that collection.

If you need help with correct sorting of your waste and recycling, please get in touch with Council (07) 348 4199 – we want to help!

Yes. Most common pest plants found in residential gardens can be placed in the FOGO bin without affecting the digestion process or the quality of the resulting fertiliser.

However, tougher plant materials such as flax, palm fronds, and cabbage tree leaves must not go in the FOGO bin. These should be taken to the landfill transfer station instead, as they are not considered green waste.

Additionally, large woody material, regardless of species, should also be excluded because it is not suitable for FOGO processing.

We recognise that some households, particularly those managing incontinence, disability, age-related needs, or caring for someone with a medical condition, may generate more rubbish than others. When developing the FOGO service, Council considered community feedback, local waste data, and the experience of other councils across New Zealand.

While we understand that some households have additional waste needs, the service cannot be tailored to individual circumstances. To help meet different household needs, larger rubbish bins will continue to be available on a user-pays basis. This approach is considered the fairest across the wider community while ensuring all households have access to a food scraps and garden waste collection service that diverts a significant portion of waste from the red-lid bin.

Households needing extra capacity can arrange a larger bin through Council on (07) 348 4199 or Smart Environmental. Additional charges apply.

Assisted collection is also available for residents who are unable to place their bins out due to mobility or health reasons. Contact Council to apply or find out more.

Many multi-unit dwellings, fenced communities or apartments have different kerbside collection arrangements that have been discussed and finalised with the residents. For organics diversion, Council will continue to have a flexible approach and work with the residents and communities concerned.

If your property is within Zones A or B, you should have a green-lid FOGO bin. Check your collection zone and collection days using the collection day search tool or check the collections calendar to confirm.

* Some food premises in the designated CBD area (Zone C) receive a 140‑litre FOGO bin. Businesses that generate large amounts of food waste can request extra bin capacity from the service provider for a fee. Very large commercial operators will continue to manage their own waste.

Zones D & E do not receive the FOGO service and have weekly rubbish collections instead.

The new service will provide an 80-litre bin to all households and businesses in the urban and primarily residential areas of the district. It will exclude all rural areas south of Waipa, rural agricultural areas north of Lake Rotorua, due to too few collection points and long travel distances, which are not economically or environmentally viable. Ōkāreka and Mamaku are also excluded.

A weekly rubbish collection will remain in place for those living outside the organic collection areas.

Factors taken into consideration in determining the service area included travel distances and the need to have sufficient collection points to ensure the service would be economically and environmentally viable.

7 May 2026 - FOGO start date delayed

7 July 2025 – Minutes of meeting relating to Council decision to award FOGO contract released. Release of Council decision made on 3 July 2024

Minutes of Infrastructure and Environment Committee Meeting - Wednesday, 3 July 2024

7 January 2025 – Media enquiry about various elements of the new organics collection service: 7 January 2025 - Rotorua Lakes Council

6 January 2025 – Contract awarded to organic waste collection service: Contract awarded for organic waste collection service - Rotorua Lakes Council

31 October 2024 – Organic waste collection part of annual plan discussions: 2025/2026 Annual Plan discussions begin - Rotorua Lakes Council

30 August 2023 – Media enquiry and RLC response re food and organic waste collection progress: 30 August 2023 - Rotorua Lakes Council

29 May 2023 – Rotorua a step closer to reducing waste carbon footprint through introduction of green and food waste collection: Council plans to reduce waste emissions - Rotorua Lakes Council

11 May 2023 – Procurement for organic waste collection to progress: Infrastructure and Environment Committee decisions - Rotorua Lakes Council

16 May 2022 – Community consultation on proposed organic waste collection: Organic Waste Collection (FOGO) | Participate Rotorua Lakes Council

Many other Councils already use this system allowing them to keep costs down while maintaining the same volume waste removal across each fortnight. They include: Tauranga, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki and Matamata Piako, Waimakariri, Timaru, Mackenzie, Waimate, Dunedin, Otago, Christchurch, Invercargill, Gore, Grey, Westland and Blenheim.