10 Year Plan - Food organic and Green organic FAQs

10 Year Plan Consultation Foodorganicandgreenorganic(FOGO)

FAQs

1. How much will this cost?

2. Why are these costs on my rates, why not PAYT (Pay As You Throw)?

3. How big willthe bin be?

4. How often will it be collected?

5. Why isthis service necessary?

6. How willthis help the environment?

7. Can I still use my green waste bin?

8. I already have a compost bin at home - why would I get a new organics waste bin?

9. Will there be a reduction in cost of the rubbish service given it would move to a fortnightly service?

10. I live in amulti-unit development with shared bins, what does that mean for me?

11. What goes in the organics waste bin (green-lid bin)?

12. Would this new service affect my recycling collection service?

13. Will it just be residential waste that gets processed?

14. Where will the waste be processed?

Answers

1. Howmuchwillthiscost?

The proposed Food and Green Organics (FOGO) weekly service has an estimated annual cost of $5.9 million if it goes ahead as proposed in July 2027. By working with other councils we will be able to share costs and get the best value for money for our communities. We are working to obtain central government funding to help establish this service.

Decisions on FOGO will need to be revisited should other councils not decide to proceed, and central government funding isn’t secured. If the service was to go ahead, it would be funded by a new targeted rate. However, the change is expectedto be broadly costneutral or save money for those who currently pay for a green waste service, as those services wouldbe replaced by the new FOGO service.

2. Whyarethesecostsonmyrates,whynotPAYT(PayAsYouThrow)?

Every household generates a certain amount of food waste (and where applicable green waste) per week. Having a rates-funded service ensures that every household has access to the service, which makes it more financially and environmentally effective.

3. Howbigwillthebinbe?

Every household would receive an organic waste bin (green bin). The default and standard bin size may be 80 litres, albeit with the ability to upsize for those residents who have a lot of green garden waste. In multi-unit dwellings, residents would have shared bins in their communal waste storage areas.

4. Howoftenwillitbecollected?

Organic waste bins would be collected weekly.

5. Whyisthisservicenecessary?

Diverting food and green organics away from the landfill is necessary in order to achieve Aotearoa New Zealand’s Emissions Reduction Plan targets and the Te rautaki para | Waste Strategy target to “reduce the biogenic methane emissions from waste by at least 30 per cent ”

6. Howwillthishelptheenvironment?

When organic waste is disposed at landfill it ends up creating methane, contributing to the warming of the climate and Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt’s emissions. Methane has a global warming potential that is 28 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.

A kerbside rubbish audit undertaken in 2022 showed that half the waste in our rubbish bins is organic, so this new bin will be a big step in reducing our city’s carbon emissions and landfill usage.

7. CanIstillusemygreenwastebin?

Council’s four-weekly green waste collection would no longer be available, as your new organic waste bin would replace it entirely for all food and garden organic waste You could however choose to continue with any private green waste collection service.

8. Ialreadyhaveacompostbinathome-whywouldIgetaneworganicswaste bin?

Backyard composts and worm farms will continue to have a role to play. However, there are some organic wastes that are less suitable or unsuitable for home composting, such as leftover meats. This is where the dedicated FOGO bin will have an important role to play to capture this waste and divert it from landfills.

9. Would there be a reduction in cost of the rubbish service if there is change to a fortnightly service?

Food and green waste typically make up about 50% of kerbside waste. The diversion of this waste would help extend the life of the landfill and reduce the need for a weekly rubbish collection service. Therefore, we anticipate some cost

savings and would work alongside our current service provider to implement the revised service offering.

10. Ilive in a multi-unit development with shared bins,whatdoes thatmean for me?

Like the current service, you would have shared bins in the communal area to dispose of your food waste in the designated bins. You may receive a 7L kitchen caddy.

11. Whatgoes in the organicswastebin (green-lid bin)?

Kitchen food scraps and garden waste.

12. Would this new service affect my recycling collection service?

No, your recycling will stay as it is with a fortnightly collection, alternating between yellow-lid bin (mixed recycling) and blue crate for glass.

13. Will it justbe residentialwaste thatgets processed?

The facility to be built that would receive the residential food and green waste would also be able to receive organic materials from commercial sources such as businesses and restaurants to maximise the benefits.

14. Where will the waste be processed?

This is still being assessed, but we have multiple technology options, many already operating in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The successful technology will determine where a facility might go, as each type has different set of requirements. There is the potential for a new facility to be constructed somewhere within Lower Hutt or the Wellington region.