Rural residents FAQs
- Details
- Written by: Beth Greenup 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
What is the 3-bin system?
The 3-bin system is part of Council’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2017-2026, which aims to reduce waste generation, increase recycling rates and divert waste from landfill, while also keeping costs low for residents.
The 3-bin system separates waste into three streams:
- Organics (green-lid bin, weekly collection)
This bin takes food waste, garden vegetation and other organic waste - Recycling (yellow-lid bin, fortnightly collection)
- Residual waste (red-lid bin, fortnightly collection)
The organics (green-lid) bin will now be your weekly bin. All the waste that spoils and smells should go in this bin.
In addition to food scraps and garden clippings, the organics bin can take a wide range of compostable materials, many of which are not easily composted at home, or are unsafe to feed to pets and animals. This includes tissues and paper towel, pizza boxes and paper or cardboard with food on it, citrus, dairy, bones (cooked and uncooked), kitty litter, meat and seafood, noxious weeds, and spoiled food.
What are the benefits of the 3-bin system?
Penrith is a recognised leader in sustainable waste management, particularly in household organic waste recycling. Council is committed to actively supporting our community to reduce waste sent to landfill through reducing, reusing, recycling and generally disposing of waste responsibly.
The 3-bin Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) system is one of the best ways we can reach those goals. It’s good for the environment and also helps keep the domestic waste charges (the fees you pay) down.
Over 50% of waste going to landfill in Australia is organic materials that could otherwise be composted. This is bad for the environment, and also more expensive, as landfill management is the most expensive way to process waste.
Most rural properties already compost, why do we need an organics bin?
While some rural properties compost at home, the research and consultation we have undertaken shows there is still a need for the organics (green-lid) bin on rural properties. Before we made this decision, we:
- Consulted the community: over 2000 residents were surveyed from across Penrith (including rural areas). The survey showed that residents overwhelmingly valued keeping costs low and having sustainable waste disposal.
- Conducted audits: audits of the contents collected from red-lid bins in rural areas showed that 60% was organic material. Processing waste with such high organic content is not cost-effective or sustainable long-term. Predictions showed that continuing to provide the 2-bin service for rural residents would result in increased costs to residents.
- Benchmarked rural services: 25 rural councils in NSW have the same 3-bin FOGO system we are implementing. The system is well used by rural and farming communities. Penrith is one of the only councils in the Sydney basin to implement FOGO and we are leading the way in sustainable waste management.
- Compared costs: continuing to provide the 2-bin system would have meant that your yearly domestic waste charge would increase from $446 (what you pay now) to $701 (what you would have paid next year. Bringing you on to this system also provides equality of service across our rural and urban areas and gives all residents to access cheaper waste services.
I already compost at home, I won't use the green-lid bin
The green-lid organics bin can take a wide range of compostable materials, many of which are not easily composted at home, or are unsafe to feed to pet and animals.In addition to food scraps and garden waste, you can fill your green-lid organic bin with:
- Bones (cooked and raw)
- Branches
- Coffee grounds
- Dairy products
- Fats and oils
- Flowers
- Grass clippings
- Kitty litter (clay or paper-based)
- Leaves
- Leftovers/scraps
- Meat
- Newspaper
- Paper plates
- Paper towel (these are not recyclable)
- Pet droppings
- Pet fur
- Pizza boxes and other paper products soiled with food (e.g. fast food wrappers, butchers paper etc.)
- Plant trimmings
- Prawn shells
- Serviettes/napkins (these are not recyclable)
- Teabags and tea leaves
- Tissues (these are not recyclable)
- Twigs and sticks
- Vegetable peelings
- Weeds
- Wood and timber (untreated and unpainted)
What will it cost me? Am I paying more for less service?
If you choose the ‘Sustainable service’, it will cost you $399 each year. That is $49 less than you are paying now. And $302 less than you would be paying next year if we had kept the 2-bin system.
For those who need something different, we offer a wider variety of alternative and additional services. These additional services come at a cost, because providing the extra collection and processing costs Council more money, and it’s not equitable to ask all residents to pay more for the additional services.
- A full list of available services and costs is on our Bin changes for rural residents webpage
When is the change happening?
You should get your new bins in June, and the new service will commence from 1 July.
Which service does Council recommend?
We recommend the ‘sustainable service’ as it’s the cheapest option and should provide ample capacity for most households once using the green-lid bin. You will be saving more money when moving to the sustainable 3-bin service option, however there are additional options available for larger households. 64% of households already on the 3-bin services use the sustainable service, and 65% of rural households have also chosen the sustainable service option.
Can I keep having my red-lid bin collected weekly?
There are options to continue weekly collection of a 140L or 240L red bin. However, as organic material is collected in the green-lid organics bin, most residents will find that they have less actual residual waste and do not require a weekly collection.There is an additional cost associated with having a weekly red-lid bin collection.
Why do I have to pay for a weekly collected or bigger bin?
Council is a service provider and waste services has a user pays structure. We developed the ‘sustainable service’ based on meeting the needs and priorities of the majority of the community. 64% of households already on the 3-bin service use the sustainable service, and 65% of rural households have also chosen the sustainable service option.
For those who need something different, we offer a wider variety of alternative and additional services. These additional services come at a cost, because providing the extra collection and processing costs Council more money, and it’s not equitable to ask all residents to pay more for the additional services.
Can I choose to stay on the 2-bin system?
No. The 2-bin system will be phased out from 1 July 2019, which is when we start our new waste contract. The 2-bin service will no longer be available for residents in urban or rural areas.
What bins will I be getting?
You should have received a letter, which included a form so you can select the right bin service for you. You needed to complete the form either online, on paper or by calling us. If you still need to discuss your options, please call Council on 4732 7615.
What will happen to the old bins?
We will collect the old bins and they will be recycled and turned into things like park bins, seating, pickets, vegetable stakes, fencing etc.
The bins are Council property and must be collected by Council. They cannot be kept.
Did Council consult the community about changing to the 3-bin system?
Yes. Council engaged an external consulting firm to undertake community consultation via surveys and focus groups.
How many residents did you speak to?
We spoke to over 2000 residents across the Penrith Local Government Area, including residents in rural areas.
What were the results of the consultation?
The majority of community members identified protecting the environment as their waste management priority. Some of the key results included:
- 70% of people were satisfied with their waste service, seeing it as both sufficient and reliable.
- 70% supported a user pays system that scales cost according to service provision.
- Householders currently on the 2-bin system were evenly split in respect to whether they were happy moving to a 3-bin service.
- People using the 3-bin service identified that it had a major impact in changing their waste practices and increased their recycling.
Rates and waste charges
Your rates and the domestic waste charge you pay are separate.
The domestic waste charge is the fee each property-owner pays for the waste collection and processing provided by Council.
Rates are related to land values and is used to provide the wide range of services Council offers. These include managing and maintaining infrastructure such as local roads, libraries, sports complexes, sporting grounds, childcare centres, parks, playgrounds and street lighting. Council also provides services such as planning and development assessment, waste collection and economic development.
How does Council work out how much the Domestic Waste Charge will be?
The 2019-2020 Domestic Waste Charge is calculated to cover the full cost of collecting all household waste, as well as bulk clean-ups, waste processing/disposal, landfill, education, communications, illegal dumping, provision for future waste service planning, new technologies and associated services. Council does not profit from this charge and all money goes into the provision and improvement of waste services.
How can I reduce my waste?
Simple steps make a big difference. To help you reduce your household waste please visit our waste webpage or download our smartphone app.
I’m really not happy, how can I take this further?
These changes have been committed to under Council’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2017-2026 and new waste collection contracts. This is important to ensure we meet our community’s expectations to reduce waste, a sustainable future and keep costs low. If you would like to voice your concerns further, you can write to Council at