The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government has announced a further delay in the rollout of its Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) collection scheme, which aims to recycle food and garden waste into compost across Canberra. Originally scheduled for 2023, the program's expansion has been postponed multiple times due to various challenges.

In 2024, a fire at Canberra’s recycling centre necessitated its replacement, pushing the expected expansion to 2026. The following year, the rollout was delayed again until 2028. Most recently, during a budget estimates hearing, ACT City and Government Services Minister Tara Cheyne confirmed that the government now aims to introduce FOGO collection territory-wide by 2030.

Minister Cheyne explained that the FOGO scheme will be implemented through a two-stage procurement process. A critical prerequisite for the scheme's expansion is the construction of a dedicated facility capable of processing at least 50,000 tonnes of waste.

The delays have drawn criticism from ACT Greens Leader Jo Clay, who described the hold-up as "horrifying" and stated, "This is not climate action; this shows that climate is just not a priority for this government." Clay expressed frustration over the lack of clear reasons for the postponements and highlighted the environmental impact, noting that "food waste generates climate emissions for 20 years after going into landfill."

Residents have shown strong support for the FOGO program, with many eager to recycle their food waste. However, the ACT now lags behind other regions by a decade or more in implementing such schemes.

Sources