New South Wales Mandates Food Composting From 2030

Food and garden organics (FOGO) composting will be mandated across New South Wales by July 2030, with the state government stepping in as Sydney continues to use up its remaining landfill space – projected to run out by the same year.

Councils will be mandated to provide FOGO collection to households by this date, with it mandatory for businesses and institutions from July 2026.

The office of energy minister Penny Sharpe hailed the policy, stating on 25 February that the government was taking “strong action” to avert a waste crisis in the state.

“NSW has just passed landmark legislation to become the first state to implement a statewide mandate for Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) recycling, to divert food waste from landfill into compost,” the ministry said.

“FOGO bins will be rolled out at premises such as supermarkets, pubs, cafes, universities, schools, hotels and hospitals.”

In another change, large supermarkets will be required to report on “the amounts and types of surplus food donated to charities like OzHarvest, Second Bite and Foodbank.”

“With FOGO taking up to a third of household red bin capacity, this legislation will help take some pressure off landfill. It also takes us one step closer to a circular economy in NSW, where resources are recycled, reused and repurposed.”

Sharpe said that the state “has ignored the crisis for landfill capacity for too long.”

“We cannot kick this can down the road any longer,” the minister witticised.

“The new FOGO laws mean NSW is leading the nation in combating food waste, becoming the first to mandate this recycling revolution across the state.”

New fund to back implementation

An $81 million funding package will support the expansion of composting.

The ministry says the “FOGO Fund” is largely to be distributed to councils for the erection of public bins and the distribution of kitchen caddies and compostable liners, as well as to conduct contamination audits and community education programmes, and fund associated staffing.

It also includes funding boosts for the implementation of FOGO composting in multiple-unit dwellings, statewide advertising, and $1 million for “a pilot to tackle contamination hotspots using artificial intelligence.”

Act responds to stagnating recycling rate

The bill, which has now passed parliament, was first read before the Legislative Council in late November.

“There is no beating about the bush – Greater Sydney is running out of landfill. Our recycling rates have stagnated at 2016 levels,” Sharpe said at the time.

If Sydney uses up its landfill space by 2030 as has been projected, Sydneysiders may have to bear the cost of having their rubbish transported to the regions.

According to the minister, the collection of food waste could divert 950,000 tonnes from landfill annually.