Waste & recycling
When your bins go out, and how Bega Valley Shire Council handles recycling and bulky waste. Households within the shire's town limits get a three-bin kerbside service: a green-lid food-and-garden-organics (FOGO) bin collected weekly, plus a yellow-lid recycling bin and a red-lid general-waste bin collected on alternate fortnights. Bega Valley is one of the earlier NSW councils to run a full FOGO service — food scraps go in the green bin, not the red bin, well ahead of the NSW-wide 2030 FOGO mandate. There's no scheduled kerbside bulky-waste pickup; instead the council issues free waste (tip) vouchers twice a year for dropping bulky items at a waste and recycling centre. To find your collection day, use the council's bin collection calendar or the free Bega Valley Waste app.
New to these terms? Read them in plain English
- FOGO
- The green bin that takes food scraps as well as garden waste.
- Bulky / hard waste collection
- Pickup or drop-off for large items that don't fit in your bins.
- Community Recycling Centre (CRC)
- A free drop-off for 'problem' waste like paint, batteries and oils.
- Food & garden organics (green lid, 240L)
- WeeklyFOGO — food scraps and garden organics together. Bega Valley has run a full FOGO service since 2018; a kitchen caddy and compostable bags are provided.
- Recycling (yellow lid, 240L)
- FortnightlyCollected on the alternate week to the red general-waste bin.
- General waste (red lid, 140L)
- FortnightlyCollected on the alternate week to recycling; a smaller 140L bin, since food waste goes in the weekly FOGO bin.
- Bulky / hard waste
- No kerbside pickup — free tip vouchers insteadThe council issues free waste vouchers to households twice a year (around August and December); each voucher covers about 0.5 m³ of general or bulky waste (e.g. a fridge, couch or mattress) dropped at a waste and recycling centre. Vouchers appear in the Bega Valley Waste app.
- Problem waste & drop-off
- Central Waste Facility (Wanatta Lane) + local centresThe Central Waste Facility on Wanatta Lane, Wolumla is the shire's main site; drop-off centres also operate at Eden, Merimbula, Bermagui and Wallagoot. Fees/vouchers apply for general tip use.
- Find your bin day
- Council's Bin Collection Calendar page / Bega Valley Waste appSee the link below.
The three-bin FOGO service applies to properties within the shire's town limits (including Bega, Merimbula, Eden, Pambula, Tathra, Bermagui, Cobargo, Tura Beach, Wolumla, Candelo and others); some rural properties outside town limits have a different service. Bin frequencies, sizes and fees can change — confirm your collection day and current fees on the official sources below.
Sources — check it yourself
Figures are current as at the dates shown and may change — always confirm with the linked source. See the notice at the bottom of the page for full details and how to report a correction.