Frequently Asked Questions
Will the public be able to drop off garden organics to the new facility at the Central Waste Facility?
You can continue to drop off garden organics to the waste and recycling centres, however no public drop offs will be permitted directly to the new facility when it is operational at the Central Waste Facility. It will remain closed to the general public.
How big is the facility?
The facility will be constructed to take up to 15,000 tonnes per annum of FOGO and garden organics, however council will seek approvals for 30,000 tonnes per annum which means that when volumes increase, further processing bays can be constructed without having to go through the development process again.
Will the new facility be able to process compostable packaging?
The NSW EPA put out a position statement in 2022 which clarified what should and shouldn’t go into the FOGO bin. Compostable packaging should not be placed into the green FOGO bin. Other than food and garden organics, only compostable caddy liners (AS 4736 certified) and fibre-based liners are permitted at this stage. If you’re not sure what can go in the green bin check out the link here: FOGO - what you can put in your green bin? or download the Bega Valley Waste and Recycling App.
Will compost still be available to buy at the waste transfer stations?
The new facility will be operational in 2026 and until then compost will still be able to be purchased at the waste and recycling centres. SOILCO will manage their own distribution networks and may choose to make compost available at locations in the Bega Valley, however Council is not intending to buy back material to sell at waste and recycling centres.
Will these changes affect the availability, cost and quality of the composting service?
The new facility has increased capacity for processing organic material with the initial construction of a 15,000 tonne per annum facility. When demand increases, we can build new bays to process more organic material. The long-term financial plan has been adjusted so that council can afford to construct the facility without increasing charges for ratepayers. The new facility will be purpose built and use better technology to remove contaminants, shred and process the organics than the existing facility.
Why does Council want to move processing of FOGO to a new facility?
The Merimbula Organics Processing Facility is at capacity and cannot be expanded. Council is looking at different opportunities to expand the organics we collect and process by exploring private interest in processing our organics, as well as assessing the processing methods should we move this function to the Central Waste Facility.