The Better Bins program supported local governments to move towards a three-bin kerbside collection system (general waste, comingled recycling and mostly garden organics, with a few instances of food organics being included) to assist residents in improving source separation and increasing recovery of waste.
Better Bins opened in 2014 as a pilot, and ran as a fully operational program from 2016 to 30 June 2019. The State Government has committed over $16.8 million to 29 metropolitan and regional local governments during this time.
Through the program, local governments are providing better-practice kerbside services across almost 650,000 households in Western Australia. The final round of funding for the State Government’s Better Bins program closed on 30 June 2019.
Under Better Bins, the Waste Authority supported many local governments to provide effective education and engagement with residents to get the most out of their standardised three-bin system. This included local governments accessing WasteSorted.
While the Waste Authority is fully supporting those local governments that are still implementing their Better Bins programs, the State Government is rolling out the new Better Bins Plus: Go FOGO program, which has been developed to deliver on the commitments in the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030.
Early adopters in Western Australia of the three-bin FOGO system through Better Bins were:
- the cities of Fremantle and Melville, and Town of Bassendean and East Fremantle
- the City of Bunbury and shires of Augusta-Margaret River, Capel, Collie, Donnybrook-Balingup and Harvey.
To find out more, contact the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Division on 6364 6965 or via email: betterpractice@dwer.wa.gov.au.
