Upgrade to Bega waste APP for FOGO
Bega Valley Shire Council is urging residents with a green bin collection to update their Bega Valley Waste APP over the weekend to keep track of changes to bin dates.
Bega Valley Shire Council is urging residents with a green bin collection to update their Bega Valley Waste APP over the weekend to keep track of changes to bin dates.
Council has released a major upgrade to the APP today in readiness for changes to bin collections on Monday when the Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) service begins.
With FOGO, weekly collections is replacing the current four-weekly garden organics collection and red and yellow bin collections are be on alternate fortnights. There is no change for people who don’t have a green bin service.
The free smartphone APP, which Council released in May 2017, sends personal reminders to your phone of when to put your bins out. It also includes tip opening times and a list of what waste can go into your red, green and yellow bins.
Waste and Recycling Manager Toby Browne said the APP upgrade was part of the many steps involved in making the transition to FOGO. A $641,400 ‘Waste Less Recycle More’ grant from NSW Environment Protection Authority is helping with the transition, which includes the purchase and distribution of free kitchen caddies.
“FOGO is a simple way to make a big improvement in waste management,” said Waste Services Manager, Toby Browne.
“Instead of sending food scraps to landfill, residents will be able to put them in with their garden waste which will be made into high quality compost at Merimbula Recycling & Waste Depot. We are excited to introduce FOGO because it saves on landfill, results in a valuable resource and gives us all an opportunity to be smarter with waste.”
As well as the APP, to help people transition to FOGO Council has information booths in libraries and tips. Council has established a Facebook page BegaValleyWasteandRecycling and a dedicated FOGO webpage and has a Green Team Hotline number 1300 212 203. Council has also released The FOGOmentary, a waste and recycling documentary starring more than 50 local children and Costa Georgiadis. “Making sure there is no contamination of the compost product is the key to ensuring the success of FOGO, so it’s really important we have the right information available on what waste goes in what bin,” Toby said.
“We understand and appreciate that change can be a challenge, but we have a great community here and most people understand how important it is that we reduce the amount of waste we produce, and ensure that we recycle as much as possible.”
- The ‘Waste Less Recycle More’ program aims to encourage local communities to think differently about waste avoidance, recycling, littering and illegal dumping. It funds projects which deliver conveniently located, value-for-money waste infrastructure that makes it easier for households and business to ‘do the right thing’. It also encourages innovative regulatory approaches to protecting the environment and supports investment in new waste programs.
Making an enquiry
All media enquiries and interview requests are coordinated by Council's Communication and Events team under the adopted Communications Policy. To view this policy, visit Public Policies and search 'communications'.
To submit a media enquiry or to request an interview:
- email media@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
- call 02 6499 2222
Councillors
Councillors can be contacted directly for enquiries regarding decisions of the elected Council and non-operational matters. Interviews with the Mayor should be arranged through the Communication and Events team contact details above.
Receiving information
If you’re a journalist or media organisation that would like to receive media releases and notifications about media opportunities, please email your name, title and contact details to media@begavalley.nsw.gov.au and we will add you to our distribution list.
You can also subscribe to Bega Valley Together and Business News, Council's fortnightly e-newsletters, or follow @begavalleyshirecouncil on Facebook and Instagram.
© Bega Valley Shire Council 2024
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Contact Us
- 02 6499 2222
- council@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
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Zingel Place
PO Box 492
Bega NSW 2550 -
Monday to Friday 9.00AM to 4.30PM
Administration building Zingel Place Bega
Australia -
ABN: 26 987 935 332
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