Your bins and recycling

Towong Shire uses a 3-bin waste system. This includes a general waste bin (red lid), a loose recycling bin (yellow lid), and a green/organic waste bin (green lid). Your green bin may also be referred to as a "FOGO" bin (Food and Garden Organics).

As part of our transition to a three-bin system we also supplied a kitchen caddy for convenient food scrap disposal. We also provide a glass drop-off option at our Resource Recovery Centres in lieu of the purple bin that exists in some Shires.

General waste (red lid) bin:
Collected fortnightly.

Recycling (yellow lid) bin:
Collected on the alternate fortnight to your red lid general waste bin.

FOGO/organics/green waste (green lid) bin:
Collected weekly

The calendar for collection dates in each part of the Shire can be found at the top of this page.

Residents of the Shire were provided with a 7L kitchen caddy and biodegradable compostable bags that fit into it. The kitchen caddy is for collecting food scraps like fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, and eggshells.

Replacement bags can be collected for free at the following locations:

• Tallangatta Library
• Corryong Library / Council Office
• Walwa General Store*
• Bethanga General Store*
• Eskdale IGA*

Please note that limits apply. *Supplies at private businesses are subject to availability and restocking. Reach out if we need to restock at a particular location.

No. If the provided kitchen caddy is not your preferred option, feel free to separate your food waste by another method. Please consider repurposing the caddy or returning it to the Shire offices for distribution to another household.

If you do not wish to use the compostable liners provided by the Shire, you can place your FOGO waste directly into the green lidded FOGO bin or wrap your food waste in newspaper first before placing it into the FOGO bin.

If you don’t wish to use any form of liner or wrapping for your food waste, you can also place the items directly into your FOGO bin.

Biodegradable liners should be replaced every 2-3 days or when the caddy is full. To keep your caddy clean and your liners intact:

• Place a paper towel or newspaper in the base to absorb excess moisture.
• Store unused liners in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
• Avoid overfilling to prevent tears and make tying the bag easier.

The changes in waste collection services are part of the State Government’s commitment to reduce landfill as well as meeting our own communities’ expectations around environmental sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

Taking food and organic waste out of landfill is the most effective way to reduce what goes to landfill. For most of the Shire and the State the most effective way to do this is with the introduction of a green FOGO bin.

However, we recognise that rural properties often already have limited waste going to landfill by managing food, organic and green waste as part of their farm and stock management. On this basis Council have made the decision to allow rural property owners to opt out of receiving a FOGO bin.

As part of this process, these property owners are agreeing to process all food and organic waste on their property and not as part of their landfill waste.

All glass bottles and jars milk & juice packs are accepted. Bottles of any colour (soft drinks, juices, water, wine, beer, spirits, food sauces and olive oil)

• Jars of any colour (food, jam, sauces, condiments, baby food, etc.)
• Cosmetics and perfume containers – also known as flacons
• Pharmaceutical packaging or vials

Please ensure they are empty and remove any lids or caps. Glasses bottles and jars – typically used for the packaging of food – can be placed into in a standalone glass bin. Check with Halve Waste as to what is eligible material.