Compost Facts
Make the most of your locally-produced compost.
Make the most of your locally-produced FOGO compost, available at Merimbula, Eden, Wallagoot and Bermagui waste transfer stations. Check the Bega Valley Waste App or here for availability.
In 2018 the Bega Valley Shire Council introduced FOGO to turn their food and garden waste into high quality compost instead of putting it into landfill
Tips for use
- General garden soil improvement: spread a 10-20mm thick layer of compost (10-20 litres per square metre) across soil surface and incorporate to a depth of 50-100mm.
- Landscaping and erosion control: apply a layer of mulch 50-100mm deep (50-100 litres per square metre) over whole area.
Choose the right bin
- Don't put plastic in the FOGO bin
- Don't put tin cans and metal in the FOGO bin, recycle instead!
- Don't put food packaging, like your barbecue chicken bag, in the FOGO bin
- Don't put glass in the FOGO bin
- Don't put wood, concrete or bricks in the FOGO bin
We don’t recommend using FOGO compost to top-dress lawns.
Although the Bega Valley’s FOGO compost contamination rates are among the lowest in Australia, the quality of the end product is reliant on people ‘choosing the right bin’. We decontaminate the FOGO waste by hand and have several other separation techniques the compost goes through as part of processing, but there are limitations on what we can remove. Broken glass and small pieces of plastic are particularly difficult to remove. We are continually improving our processing systems to enable us to remove contaminants, and Council delivers community education programs which aim to inform, educate and inspire people to keep their FOGO bins contamination free.
Want more tips for your trees, veggie gardens and flower beds?
Download our Fact Sheet here.
Benefits
Compost
- Fertilising effect
- Introduces quality carbon into the soil. This in turn:
- Increases the health and activity of soil microbial populations
- Helps prevent plant disease
- Mobilises nutrients for plants
- Improves soil structure
- Improved moisture absorption
- Improved moisture absorption
- Improved water holding capacity for plants
Mulch
- Protects soil surface
- Prevents erosion
- Keeps your topsoil where you need it most
- Reduces run-off
- Reduces erosion
- Reduces evaporation
- Provides insulation for soil
- Keeps soil cooler in summer, reducing the effects of high temperatures which kill roots and soil biology
- Keeps soil warmer in winter which helps keep soil biology active when it’s cold
- Renewable
- Environmentally friendly
Health warning
- This product contains micro-organisms
- Keep product moist and avoid breathing in dust or mists by wearing a particulate mask
- This product is made from the contents of the community’s green (FOGO) bins and has a low risk of containing contaminant materials such as plastic/ glass chards/stones/metal sharps
- Metal sharps could include nails, screws, wire or hypodermic syringes
- Wear appropriate gloves and footwear as a precautionary measure
- Wash hands immediately after use
Bega Valley Shire Council FOGO compost and mulch is pasteurised and is sold under the NSW EPA ‘compost’ Resource Recovery Order.
Compost Nutrient Chart
| Nutrient | Compost |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen | 1.08% |
| Phosphorus | 6.4% |
| Potassium | 0.72% |
| Organic Carbon | 16.5% |
| Zinc | 209 mg/kg |
| Copper | 18.5 mg/kg |
| Sodium | 0.21% |
© Bega Valley Shire Council 2024
Our council websites
Contact Us
- 02 6499 2222
- council@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
-
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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