Lockyer Valley Regional Council case study
| Queensland Government funding provided | $353,000 |
|---|---|
| Trial suburbs | Gatton and Laidley (both FOGO) |
| Number of households involved | 1,021 households, mostly single-unit dwellings with some multi-unit dwellings included where engaged residents were identified |
| Waste services provided |
Weekly FOGO collection
General waste collection reduced from weekly to fortnightly; additional general waste bin provided to households as required |
| FOGO items provided |
Kerbside organics bin (240L)
7L kitchen caddy 150 certified compostable liners |
| Total organic waste collected | 385 tonnes |
| Presentation rate of FOGO bins | 51% |
| Recovery rates |
68% total organic waste
35% FO 89% GO |
| Compost produced | 61 tonnes |
| Contamination |
The average FOGO contamination rate was 2.9% (range from 1.2% to 3.9%)
Common contaminants included packaged food and bagged bread |
About the trial
Lockyer Valley Regional Council (Council) undertook a kerbside organics collection trial across two suburbs. Food organics and garden organics were collected from both suburbs weekly, and the general waste collection service was reduced to fortnightly. Accepted FO items included vegetables, coffee, tea, fruit, nuts, shells and eggshells. The waste collection service was delivered in-house by council’s waste collection staff.
Due to the distance to commercial organics processing facilities, Council established a pilot composting facility (facility) in the council-owned Gatton Landfill Resource Recovery Centre. The system was installed within an engineered landfill cell and was solar powered.
At the facility, FOGO material was handpicked for contamination and was then loaded on to the aeration pipes for composting. Forced aeration and static piling (HEAPS) technology in windows was used to process the FOGO material collected. Processing time was 12 weeks from collection to the finished compost product.
The compost produced was used as a soil conditioner in Council owned parks and gardens, and in a creek bank resilience remediation project.
Trial evaluation
Results and learnings from the trial included:
- There was a high proportion of GO (86.52%) materials in the FOGO waste stream, with FO making up only 11.41% of the collected material. This was possibly a result of high rainfall experienced during the trial period.
- 85% of trial households used the FOGO service at least once during the trial.
- 70% of trial households indicated that they had no problem with managing the reduced collection of general waste from a weekly service to a fortnightly service.
Challenges relating to the trial included:
- a number of activities relating to the trial presented challenges to Council in relation to staffing, these included:
- waste composition audits and bin health checks, which were undertaken at the beginning, six-month and 12-month phases of the trial – council appointed an external contractor to conduct waste audits to relieve the workload of the project on council staff
- bin tagging was essential in addressing contamination behaviours, but it required additional resources.
- two major disaster events (February and May 2022) affected Council’s ability to focus resources on the trials due to high rainfall and flooding. This may have also affected the data
- lack of time and resources constrained Council in effectively engaging with residents at community events such as markets
- managing contamination with the extensive list of items permitted in the FOGO bin.
A community survey was undertaken at the end of the trial to measure attitudes towards the new service. It found that:
- participants were reluctant to empty food from old containers into the FOGO bin due to the smell and ‘yuck factor’, suggesting education around the benefits vs costs of recycling food waste may be important
- 85% of participants used the FOGO service at least once during the trial
- 70% of participants indicated they did not have any issues with a fortnightly general waste collection.
Communication and education
Communication methods and resources used during the trial included:
- invitation letter
- ‘Start up pack’ with caddy, liners and resources
- flyers and bin tags
- engagement hub (Council owned online engagement platform), social media and events
- series of education pre- and post-trial activities including mail-outs, social media and website content.
Council also engaged with a local park care group and schools to introduce FOGO concepts and promote the compost product, helping to create a tangible connection between waste and the local community.