The City of Bunbury in Western Australia is set to spend more than $1.2 million a year to transport residents’ food and garden organic waste more than 150 kilometres to Perth for processing.

The move comes after the collapse of local FOGO processing, which forced organic waste to be sent to landfill since late 2024 due to high contamination levels.

Bunbury councillors approved the plan as a temporary solution to restart the recycling program and turn organic waste into compost.

However, environmental experts and residents have raised concerns that transporting waste long distances could reduce some of the environmental benefits of the FOGO system.

The council says it will continue searching for a long-term local processing solution while seeking support to reduce transport costs.

The decision highlights the challenges facing Australia’s waste management systems as communities work to reduce landfill and improve recycling outcomes.