Inner West Council votes unanimously to put food waste recycling bins in every home

By PATRICK MCKENZIE

Every household will be provided with food waste recycling bins during the council term as the Inner West becomes the third Sydney inner-city council to make the commitment.

During an ordinary meeting this month, council unanimously voted to distribute food organics and garden organics waste recycling (FOGO) to every residence in the Inner West. 

Labor councillor Mat Howard, who moved the motion, said that “reducing food waste is one of the most important things we can do to reverse global warming”. 

“Food waste also has a huge impact on people’s hip pockets, with the government estimating it costs the Australian economy $20 billion each year.”

The scheme has already been active in Inner West apartments for two years, during which it has recycled 879 tonnes of food waste across over 22,000 apartments.

“This is great news, but there’s more to be done,” said Cr Howard.

Speaking to City Hub before the meeting, Greens councillor Kobi Shetty, while supportive of the motion, indicated minor concerns around its feasibility.

“I think it’s really important that we’re reducing the waste to landfill, it makes absolute sense to support it … some of us have concerns about the council’s ability to actually process it, which is more of a logistical issue,” Cr Shetty said.

Inner West Council joins Woollahra, Randwick and Penrith as Sydney councils implementing full-scale, ongoing FOGO programs.

Randwick City Council’s FOGO program was recognised last month at the Keep Australia Beautiful Sustainable Cities Award ceremony, where Inner West Council was also a finalist.