Food Organic & Green Organic Waste Collection (FOGO)

Where the service will operate

The new service will provide an 80-litre bin to all households and businesses in the urban and primarily residential areas of the district. It will exclude all rural areas south of Waipa, rural agricultural areas north of Lake Rotorua, due to too few collection points and long travel distances, which are not economically or environmentally viable. Ōkāreka and Mamaku are also excluded. NOTE: We are working on a map showing which areas are included and excluded from the service which we will publish here.

A weekly rubbish collection will remain in place for those living outside the organic collection areas.

Factors taken into consideration in determining the service area included travel distances and the need to have sufficient collection points to ensure the service would be economically and environmentally viable.

Current red bag users will not be included in the initial roll-out of the service and potential collection of organic waste at transfer stations is being considered but not yet confirmed.

There is no option to opt out of the new service - the decision has been made to provide the service to all properties in the collection areas. Council can leverage its existing services and distribute the costs across its ratepayer base. This approach reduces expenses, makes the service economically viable and contributes to lowering landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Cost to ratepayers

The gross annual operating costs of the new service of $2.45m will be offset by reduced landfill costs of about $1.6m (based on 6000 tonnes of waste being diverted from the landfill), resulting in a net additional increase to the targeted rate of $24.71 per year. The more waste diverted from the landfill, the lower the cost of the service.

The diversion of organic waste can reduce the costs associated with landfill disposal. However, it also adds a new collection cost. The savings from landfill disposal will offset the cost of organics collection but will not make the organics diversion service cost neutral. The increase in the targeted rate is expected to cover the additional cost of collection.

The cost of sending household waste to landfill has continued to increase due to rising Central Government levies and changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme. These taxes comprise about 60 per cent of landfill costs.

About the bins and collections

What will be collected and where it goes

We are working with the contractor to finalise what can go in the organic bins.

The waste will be taken to Ecogas in Reporoa and processed using anaerobic digestion. The facility generates electricity, heat, biogas and fertiliser as a by-product, closing the food and energy loop by returning nutrients back into local soils.

Size of the organics bin

80 litres, compared with 140 litres capacity of the red lid bins and 240 litres for the yellow lid recycling bins.

Putting out the bins

• Your new organic waste bin will be collected weekly
• General rubbish (red-lid bin) will move from weekly to fortnightly, alternating with recycling bins/glass crates.

A collection calendar will be available in both hard copy and on the Rotorua Lakes Council website to help remind people of collection days.

There won’t be more bins out on collection days: there will be two bins to put out on general rubbish collection days (red lid bin + new organics bin) and up to three on recycling collection days (yellow lid bin + blue glass crate + new organics bin).

Why general waste collection is moving to fortnightly

Currently about half of our general waste is organic waste so as there will be less rubbish in your red bins once the new service starts. Fortnightly rubbish collection will also encourage the use of the organics bin.

People who need bigger or more bins, will still be able to get these for a fee (as they already can now). This is managed by Smart Environmental, and this cost is not included in Council's waste rate.

For more information, you can phone Smart Environmental on 07 346 8327 or email ro@smartenvironmental.co.nz.

A weekly rubbish collection will remain in place for those living outside the organic collection areas.