Canberra's food and garden waste recycling rollout pushed back to 2030

The ACT's plan to extend food and garden organics collection across Canberra has been delayed again, with a new target of 2030.

Canberra's Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) collection program, intended to recycle household food and garden waste into compost, has faced another delay, moving the territory-wide rollout to 2030. The scheme, first expected to launch in 2023, was pushed to 2026 after a fire forced the replacement of the main recycling centre, then slipped to 2028, and now targets 2030 according to City and Government Services Minister Tara Cheyne.

She explained that a two-stage procurement process for a new facility capable of handling at least 50,000 tonnes of waste is underway, with proposals to be released soon. ACT Greens leader Jo Clay expressed frustration, calling the postponements a sign that climate action is not a priority for the government, especially as Canberra's waste-related emissions have risen 27 % in the past year. A pilot program operating in Belconnen, Cook, Macquarie and some Tuggeranong apartments since 2021 serves more than 6,000 homes and has been well received. The federal National Waste Policy Action Plan also aims for nationwide FOGO coverage by 2030.