As a deadline to introduce a third bin for food and organic waste in all Perth and Peel homes looms closer, some WA councils have no firm plans to do so — and say they are under pressure from the state government to get in line.
Perth councils have been scrambling to roll out the Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) bins since the state government vowed to roll out the initiative metro-wide by 2025 several years ago.
But a handful of councils in Perth's outer suburbs are pushing back, instead putting their faith in what is set to be WA's first waste-to-energy plant.
In a deal that pre-dates the WA government's commitment to FOGO, eight Perth councils have agreed to supply rubbish for the Kwinana waste-to-energy plant.
Among them is the City of Gosnells, in Perth's south-east.
Gosnells Mayor Terresa Lynes said waste-to-energy was a lower cost and good option.
"[Waste-to-energy] has been widely used all over the world … so I think it's exciting that we've got something that's happening in WA," she said.
"We're actually trying to keep our rates down here in the City of Gosnells, not implement new services that are going to create the same thing as what we're doing — getting rid of waste."
A report for councils by Talis Consultants found a two-bin system along with waste-to-energy would cost the average household $190 a year, but if a FOGO bin were added to the mix the cost would climb to more than $240.
Ms Lynes said she was not convinced FOGO was the right path.
"I'm worried about bringing in a FOGO system because what are we going to do with the FOGO? There just isn't the infrastructure here at the moment or the demand."
In Bunbury, the first WA council to introduce FOGO, piles of organic material had not been used, which Ms Lynes said added to her concern.
"If you can't get rid of it in the South West, that's right on a farming corridor for fertiliser, we're not going to get be able to get rid of it here in Perth."
No capacity for FOGO by 2025
The cities of Mandurah, South Perth, Armadale, Canning, Kwinana and the shires of Serpentine-Jarrahdale and Murray have also signed up to provide rubbish to the waste-to-energy plant, a deal signed in 2015.
Together they will supply about 195,000 tonnes to the Kwinana Waste to Energy project each year.
It's understood the plant will be up and running by the end of next year, with the capacity to produce enough energy to power 50,000 households.
The Rivers Regional Council represents six of the local governments involved in the deal.
Some of the councils, like the Shire of Murray and the City of Mandurah, are looking at bringing in FOGO on top of their commitments to waste-to-energy.
However, Rivers Regional Council CEO John McNally said it would be difficult for those involved to introduce FOGO anytime soon.
"We simply don't have capacity once we've committed our tonnes to [the] waste-to-energy plant," he said.
The state government's waste plan lists waste-to-energy as its "least-preferred recovery option" and Mr McNally said state representatives had made it clear councils were "at odds" with the strategy.
But he said with FOGO still in its "infancy" it was a less risky option for councils and one that could be explored later.
"We've been asking for a five-year deferral. 2030 would be a good position for us to have a solid review of the available waste for FOGO across our group," Mr McNally said.
State stands by target
WA's Environment Minister Reece Whitby said while he would not force councils to get on board, he would work with them to roll out a FOGO bin alongside waste-to-energy by 2025.
"There's material residual waste all over Perth, the South West, and the Peel area that could actually fulfil that obligation [to waste-to-energy] so it doesn't have to be with these particular councils," he said.
"Where this has been introduced it has been a smash hit with ratepayers."
"Once the word gets out and people in those River councils learn more about this system, I think there will be increasing pressure within those communities [to bring it in.]"
Mr Whitby said work was being done to grow production capacity and develop markets for the end product.
"I also have operators come to me and say they want to invest and build a FOGO processing plant … we have to make sure there's a market but that's being developed all the time."
What do the experts say?
In situations where waste cannot be prevented or reduced, Australia's Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association supported reuse options like FOGO as the preferred option for the country's waste woes.
"The goal has always got to be to try and keep valuable resources circulating in the productive economy rather than using it once for energy," said CEO Gayle Sloan.
"Our soil is probably the most diminished from a nutrient point-of-view that it's been in history. So getting that goodness out of the food and the garden organics and putting it back into the soil and improving its quality is a very good higher order use."
She said while waste-to-energy had its place, it should only happen with materials that could not be recovered or recycled.
