Rockingham residents are frustrated at the introduction of FOGO bins in the suburb and the fortnightly red bin collection, which are causing overflowing and foul smells.
City of Rockingham resident Rebecca Privilege JP supports the idea behind FOGO, but she is concerned about the change to fortnightly red-bin collection.
“FOGO as a concept is good, especially for those living on smaller blocks.”
“The majority of households having both parents working, use disposable nappies, have women in the household menstruating, use a lot of soft plastics, buy from supermarkets rather than farmers markets, and have animals. As a result, the red bin is filled very quickly, causing an odour.”
While the City of Rockingham says the system delivers environmental benefits, some residents remain divided about how it works.
The FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) system was introduced in July 2025. The system allows you to separate food scraps and place them with garden waste in the green-lidded bin, and it’s collected weekly. Changing the red bin to a fortnightly collection for general household waste.
Resident Mrs Lee expressed her frustration around hygiene and practicality, saying her household has stopped using the FOGO bin altogether.
“In summertime, it’s really gross. We’ve had to move ours into a different spot, and now I’ve got to pay for someone to come out and wash my bin,” she sad.
“It’s another expense that comes back on us and the cost of being in the cost of fuel, it’s just getting ridiculous.”
Despite the concerns, the City of Rockingham says the system is working as intended, and it’s an important step towards the future of sustainability.
Mayor Lorna Buchan said the introduction of FOGO has significantly improved recycling rates across the city.
“Our recycling rates have gone from 39 per cent up to 60 per cent, which is really good for environmental outcomes”.
Mayor Buchan explained that the purpose of reducing the frequency of red bin collection is to encourage residents to recycle more and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.
She also spoke on the environmental impact of organic waste, noting that separating it through FOGO reduces harmful methane emissions to the environment.
“If you take the organics out of the red bin rubbish and compost it, it doesn’t create methane, but if you put it into the tip and cover it, it creates methane.”
Mayor Buchan acknowledged the transition has not been easy for all residents. She said support options are available for those struggling with the changes.
“I wish people would contact me and ask me for help because I am empathetic to people’s needs. I do want to hear from people who aren’t coping,” she said.
“We offer an extra red bin for people with medical waste, and for large families, a discounted extra red bin.”
The mayor stated the weekly red bin collection has no plans to go back in the future, as it’s not environmentally sustainable and financially sustainable.
“It would cost an extra $5 million in the first year as we would have to buy new trucks, and every year after that it’s an additional $2.5 million”.
Mayor Buchan expressed that there are high chances that the state will mandate their policy and make every local government participate in FOGO.
For Ms Privilege, the issue isn’t just about waste, but also about how the changes were introduced.
“The decision to move red bin collection to fortnightly was not discussed with residents”.
Ms Privilege feels that if there was a conversation with residents about the changes beforehand, she thinks it would allow them to feel more empowered and involved in the issue.
As Rockingham continues to adapt to the new systems, the divide between environmental goals and everyday practicality remains.
For now, FOGO bins and fortnightly red bin collection are here to stay.
