Learn More About Penrith's 3-Bin Waste Service
- Details
- Written by Adam Gatt Penrith City Council (02) 4732 7777 (02) 4732 7958 council@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au https://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au 601 High St Penrith NSW 2750 Australia
The 3-Bin Waste Service is designed so that our waste goes back into the community wherever possible. For instance, Penrith’s organic waste is recycled into high-grade compost that is used on local parks and gardens, recyclables are remade into new products, such as glass to make roads, and the small amount of waste leftover is buried in landfill.
Other benefits of this service include:
- saving you money
- reducing the amount of reusable waste going into landfill
- offering a greater total bin capacity for each household than under the 2-bin waste service
- allowing Penrith Council to assist residents in reducing the amount of waste going to landfill and for Council to meet targets set by the State Government for all local councils to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill
Council’s 3-Bin Waste Service is represented by “The Binz”, where each bin has its own character and music personality. The Binz pump out waste hints, helping Penrith to sort their waste correctly.
Congratulations, Penrith! Our community was the first metropolitan city in Australia to introduce the FOGO service 10 years ago! Penrith’s progressive attitude and passionate commitment towards FOGO has reduced a huge amount of has reduced a huge amount of reusable material from being buried in landfill, and instead is being turned into a nutrient-rich compost product. Together, we never waste a chance to be great with FOGO.
In 2005, Council found over 30% of FOGO material was going into the red-lidded residual bin. When FOGO material goes to landfill, it releases methane gas when it breaks down, which leads to environmental issues. Since starting the 3-bin system, Penrith has seen a great reduction in the amount of FOGO material being placed in red-lidded residual bins, with the community's resource recovery rate increasing from 21% to 66%, meaning 66% of this can be made into a product and used as compost.
The green-lidded Food Organic Garden Organics (FOGO) bin
All the organic material you put in the FOGO bin is collected and manually sorted by people and then turned into compost for our local parks, gardens and sports fields. It’s important that we ensure we place the right items in this bin that can naturally break down and prevent injury for our sorting staff.
How often is the FOGO bin emptied?
- Weekly: This bin is for food scraps and garden clippings, which are classified as putrescible waste and is required to be collected more frequently to prevent odour.
- If you have a large garden/lawn, you can request a second bin. Alternatively, if you have a small garden/lawn, you can request a smaller bin.
What can I put in the FOGO bin?
- Since these organic items are commercially composted, they can take more than your regular household compost bin such as garden clippings and other items like fish and chip paper, animal droppings, tissues and chicken bones.
- If you’re cooking in the kitchen and have a lot of scraps left over, all you have to do is scrape your leftover food into your Council-provided green compostable bags (line your kitchen caddy organics bin with these bags if you have one) and drop it in your FOGO bin. These green bags can be broken down in the composting process and keep your kitchen caddy clean.
- Please ensure that you do not use any other compostable bags but the Council-provided green compostable bags so that they can be broken down properly in our composting process.
- If you are cleaning up your yard, please remember to put all garden waste direct into the bin. Do not use plastic bags as they do not break down in the composting process.
- The organic material from the FOGO bin is made into valuable compost which can be used again on community local sports grounds, gardens and parks.
| Animal droppings | Fish and chip paper | Palm fronds and nuts |
| Bones | Flowers | Paper bags |
| Branches (broken up) | Food leftovers and scraps | Paper plates |
| Bread, cereals, grains, nuts and seeds | Fruit and vegetable scraps | Paper towels |
| Cereal slops | Garden trimmings and prunings | Pizza boxes and pizza |
| Chewing gum/bubble gum | Grass cuttings | Plant cuttings |
| Chicken bones, skins and scraps | Hair and fur | Shellfish waste |
| Cooking oils/fats (frozen) | Kitty litter (clay or paper based) | Shredded scrap paper |
| Coffee grounds | Leaves | Tea bags and tea leaves |
| Dairy products | Meat | Tissues |
| Egg shells | Newspaper | Vegetable scraps |
| Fish and bones | Paper napkins | Weeds |
| Wood (untreated, unpainted, without nails or metal fittings and less than 30cm in length) | ||
Please visit The Waste Spot, Council's online destination for all of your waste-related requests.
The yellow-lidded recycling bin
The recyclable items from the recycling bin get separated into different types of materials and are remade into new products, Council even uses the glass collected in these bins to make roads!
How often is the yellow-lidded recycling bin emptied?
- Fortnightly: A weekly collection is not available however, larger bins or additional recycling bins are available.
What can I put in the yellow-lidded recycling bin?
- Please follow these simple recycling steps: "Know it", "Empty it", "Rinse it", "Sort it"! Know what can be recycled, empty contents out, rinse containers and bottles, and sort it in the correct bin.
- To reduce size and bulk, items such as cardboard and drink containers can be squashed or crushed before being placed in the bin.
- Please do not use plastic bags in this bin as they cannot be recycled at the facility.
| Books | Junk mail | Plastic bottles/tubs and jars |
| Bottles and jars (plastic or glass) | Laundry detergent bottles | Poppers |
| Cardboard boxes and rolls | Magazines | Shampoo and conditioner bottles |
| Cereal boxes | Margarine tubs | Steel and tin cans |
| Coffee cans | Milk bottles/cartons | Take-away containers |
| Computer paper | Motor oil containers (empty and clean) | Tetrapaks/poppers |
| Cosmetic jars | Newspapers | Toilet roll and cardboard tubes |
| Cream cheese tubs | Office paper | Wine/beer bottles |
| Drink cans/bottles | Oil containers (empty and clean) | Wrapping paper |
| Envelopes | Paint cans (empty and clean) | Yoghurt containers |
| Food cans | Pet food cans | |
| Glass bottles and jars | Phone books |
Please visit The Waste Spot, Council's online destination for all of your waste-related requests.
The red-lidded residual bin
The red-lidded residual bin is for any items that are not suitable for the recycling or FOGO bins and are buried at landfill and not reused or recycled. There are many environmental impacts of waste going to landfill and it is the most expensive way to dispose of waste.
How often is the red-lidded residual bin emptied?
- Fortnightly: The bin is collected fortnightly as a sustainable option. You can request a weekly collection if you require it.
- If you are sorting your waste correctly but are still struggling with capacity, there are other options available such as getting a larger bin.
What can I put in the red-lidded residual bin?
- To get the most use out of your residual bin, ensure the only items being placed in this bin are items that cannot be placed in the other bins, booked in as part of a bulky waste collection, given away or sold.
- Recyclable and compostable items often take up a lot of space in the residual bin and it is recommended that these items be sorted into their respective yellow-lidded recycling bin or green-lidded FOGO bin.
| Bandaids/dressings | Foil sachets and bags | Pyrex |
| Batteries (household) | Garden hose | Shoes |
| Bread bags/tags | Hygiene products | Stockings/pantihose |
| Candles | Kitty litter | Straws |
| Carbon paper | Lightbulbs | Supermarket 'green' bags |
| Cassette tapes/Videos/CDs/DVDs | Lolly/sweet/chocolate wrappers | Styrofoam |
| Ceramics | Meat trays and plastic wrap | Toothbrushes |
| Cereal box plastic inserts | Pet food satchets | Toothpaste tubes |
| Clothes/textiles and shoes | Pens/pencils/crayon/textas | Toys |
| Crockery and cutlery | Personal hygiene products | Treated timber |
| Disposable nappies | Plastic bags | Vacuum cleaner dust |
| Drinking glasses | Plastic wrap | Waxed paper/cardboard |
| Foam boxes | Polystyrene cups and packaging | Window glass/mirrors |
| Foam underlay | Potato chip and snack bags |
Please visit The Waste Spot, Council's online destination for all of your waste-related requests.
Kitchen caddy organics bin
The kitchen caddy organics bin works alongside the green-lidded FOGO bin. All food scraps collected in the kitchen caddy are to be emptied in the FOGO bin and turned into compost for our local parks, gardens and sports fields.
What can I put in the kitchen caddy?
- Place a Council-provided green compostable bag in the caddy and scrape your leftover food straight in, along with any other organic material such as hair, paper towels or tissues. When it is full, take the green bag out and place it into the FOGO bin.
- Council sells kitchen caddy organic bins that have been specifically designed to fit the Council-provided green compostable bags. Please do not use any other bags, even if they are labelled as compostable or biodegradable, as they do not break down quickly enough for composting. Biodegradable means it gets broken down into tiny pieces, which is worse for the environment.
- Alternatively, you can use a container of your own to collect and transport food scraps. It is important that the container is only used to collect the scraps and is not to be disposed of in the FOGO bin.
If you need a new kitchen caddy, they can be purchased from Council for $11.00 including GST.
Kitchen caddies are available at:
- Penrith Civic Centre - 601 High Street, Penrith
- St Marys Office - 207 Queen Street, St Marys
- Penrith City Library - 601 High Street, Penrith
- St Marys Library - 207 Queen Street, St Marys
- St Clair Library - St Clair Shopping Centre, Corner of Bennett Road and Endeavour Avenue, St Clair
Council-provided green compostable bags
- Council-provided green compostable bags are delivered free of charge to every household on the 3-Bin Waste Service four times a year to collect food waste.
- They are the only bags that can be put into the green-lidded FOGO bin as they are specifically designed and have been tested to bre
ak down during the 6-week composting process. - These bags line the kitchen caddy organics bin and should be the bags used for these bins as they have been specifically designed for Penrith’s FOGO composting process.
- While the bags do not have an expiry date, they should last at least 12 months if stored correctly. Store bags in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight to prevent bags from breaking down prematurely.
- If you find the bags are splitting, tearing or breaking apart, they are most likely old. If you are having these issues with a packet of bags that you believe are new, please visit The Waste Spot so it can be investigated.
- If your household needs more bags, additional bags can be picked up for free from any of Council's Offices or library branches.
Offices
- Penrith Civic Centre - 601 High Street, Penrith
- St Marys Office - 207 Queen Street, St Marys
Libraries
- Penrith City Library - 601 High Street, Penrith
- St Marys Library - 207 Queen Street, St Marys
- St Clair Library - St Clair Shopping Centre, Corner of Bennett Road and Endeavour Avenue, St Clair
Rural collection points
- Londonderry Post Office - 12 Muscharry Rd, Londonderry
- Llandilo IGA - 255 Seventh Ave, Llandilo
- Mulgoa Friendly Grocer - 1216 Mulgoa Rd, Mulgoa
Main service options
Sustainable Service - $399*
- 240L Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) bin weekly
- 240L Recycling bin fortnightly
- 140L Residual bin fortnightly
Large Residual Waste Service - $484*
- 240L Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) bin weekly
- 240L Recycling bin fortnightly
- 240L Residual bin fortnightly
Weekly Residual Waste Service - $614*
- 240L Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) bin weekly
- 240L Recycling bin fortnightly
- 140L Residual bin weekly
Weekly Large Residual Waste Service - $795*
- 240L Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) bin weekly
- 240L Recycling bin fortnightly
- 240L Residual bin weekly
Additional service options
- Additional 140L Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) bin weekly - $103*
- Additional 240L Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) bin weekly - $103*
- Additional 140L Recycling bin fortnightly - $51*
- Additional 240L Recycling bin fortnightly - $51*
- Additional 360L Recycling bin fortnightly - $72*
- Upsize Recycling bin fortnightly to 360L - $21*
- Additional 140L Residual bin fortnightly - $133*
- Additional 240L Residual bin fortnightly - $205*
- Additional 140L Residual bin weekly - $267*
- Additional 240L Residual bin weekly - $410*
* Fees and charges are current from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021.
How to change your bin service
To change your service option, or to discuss suitable options for your household, please contact Waste Services on 4732 7615.
Please note: Only the property owner can change the service being provided to a property. However, if you are a tenant, you can still contact Waste Services for advise on the different options.
Additional benefits
4 free Bulky Waste Collections per year
Every household on the 3-Bin Waste Service has four free clean-ups per calendar year. These clean-ups are not scheduled per suburb but are an on-request service.
You can dispose of items such as old furniture, mattresses, clothing and small items. Book a clean-up by visiting The Waste Spot, Council's online destination. For more information, see Bulky Waste or visit The Waste Spot.
Chemical Drop-Off Days
Council hosts a free chemical drop-off day at Jamison Park in Penrith.
Pack old household cleaners and chemicals, pool chemicals, batteries, gas bottles and oils in the boot of your car. The friendly staff will unload for you and the items collected will be disposed of safely and correctly. For more information, including the next drop-off day, see Chemical Drop-Off Days page.
Electronic-Waste Drop-Off Days
Council holds free electronic waste drop-off days at Jamison Park in Penrith.
Pack old televisions, computers, microwaves, stereos and other electronic waste in your car or trailer. The friendly staff will unload for you and the items collected will be recycled. All items dropped off are disassembled, sorted and recovered for recycling into new products.
For more information, including the next drop-off day, see Electronic Waste Drop-Off Days page.
Free Bin Repairs
If your bin is broken, cracked or missing a lid, you can organise a free repair by visiting The Waste Spot.