Sharpe said the bill was necessary to reduce the amount of organic waste going into landfill.
“There is no beating about the bush – Greater Sydney is running out of landfill. Our recycling rates have stagnated at 2016 levels,” Sharpe told parliament.
“There are problems in regional areas too – areas like Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour are also predicted to reach capacity within the decade.”
Michelle Gray says FOGO has been “a good learning experience” for her children.Credit: Wolter Peeters
On average, food waste makes up more than a third of the material in NSW household red (general rubbish) bins, Sharpe said, and applying the mandates to all households could divert almost 950,000 tonnes of FOGO waste from landfill each year.
The EPA spokesperson said, after a decade of government support, there were at least 32 industrial-scale compost facilities in NSW, and the mandates would encourage further investment.
For Sydney councils already offering FOGO, the rollout has been bumpy at times. Residents have reported missed bin collections, leading to stench and fly infestations. Moves to reduce general waste collection to fortnightly, as the Inner West Council did last year, are also controversial.
Separating food scraps will not be a problem for the Gray household in Rose Bay.
Michelle Gray, her husband and her three children are part of a Waverley Council FOGO trial.
Previously, the family composted fruit and vegetable scraps at home but sent the remains of eggs, dairy, meat, bread and grains to landfill. Now it all goes in the green (FOGO) bin.
“I really liked doing it ourselves, but I also like knowing other people are doing it, so there’s a collective reduction in landfill,” Gray said.
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“It’s been a good learning experience for [the kids] as well. Kids adapt a lot quicker than adults, and they know that when they finish eating their dinner, their waste goes into FOGO now.”
As a former local councillor, Gray is aware of the pushback from some residents but believes it is necessary for environmental reasons.
From July 2030, councils must offer a weekly organic waste bin collection and ensure the waste is not contaminated during transport, or face penalties of up to $500,000, or $50,000 a day. The Local Government Association’s submission to the EPA in July opposed fines.
Rules for businesses and other institutions will be phased in from 2026 to 2030 and there will be similar fines. There are no fines for households.
The bill also requires large supermarkets to record their food donations monthly from July 2026, and permits the EPA to publish the figures.
Sharpe told parliament that fines reflected the importance of the mandates, but the approach would not be “draconian”, and there would be exemptions where needed.
The Coalition supported development of FOGO while in government but does not yet have a position on the bill. The Greens are yet to examine the bill in detail but welcomed the issue being on the agenda.
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