NSW childcare centres are covered by the FOGO mandate, but the current threshold captures almost no single centre. What applies now, what changes by 2030, and how to size bins for a nappy-heavy waste stream.
If you run a childcare centre in NSW, here is the compliance position in plain terms: childcare services are covered by the state's FOGO food waste mandate, but the tier in force since 1 July 2026 only captures premises generating around 3,960 litres of general waste a week, roughly six 660L bins. Almost no single centre produces that. Your obligations change in 2030, when the threshold drops to around 720 litres a week, and that tier will capture many centres. The practical work today is right-sizing a nappy-heavy general waste service and getting ahead of the organics change on your own schedule.
The Protection of the Environment Legislation Amendment (FOGO Recycling) Act 2025 phases in mandatory food organics separation for food-handling premises, and the EPA NSW rollout explicitly includes schools and childcare. The tiers are measured by weekly general (residual) waste capacity, not by licence size or headcount:
| From | Applies to premises with roughly |
|---|---|
| 1 July 2026 (in force) | 3,960L or more of general waste a week |
| 1 July 2028 | 1,980L or more a week |
| 1 July 2030 | 720L or more a week |
A centre running one 660L bin weekly sits under every current tier. A larger centre running an 1100L, or a multi-room service with two 660L bins, should pencil in the 2030 tier now: 720L a week is only slightly more than one 660L bin. Our FOGO tier explainer covers the mechanics for all business types.
Nappies dominate. A centre with 30 children in nappies works through hundreds of changes a week, and nappies are heavy, bulky and not recyclable or compostable. They go in general waste, and they are why childcare centres almost always need more general capacity than an office of the same headcount. On top of that sit meal prep scraps if you cook on site, craft and packaging waste, and gloves and wipes from hygiene routines.
Two sizing patterns cover most services:
Collections run weekly as standard, so if bins overflow before collection day the answer is a bigger bin, not hoping for an extra truck visit. The exact schedule is confirmed when you book.
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Tell us your address and what your business does, and get your exact price in about 2 minutes. Free to book; a vetted local provider services and invoices you directly.
Get your exact priceThrough Bin Hire Australia, a NSW centre can book general waste (240L, 660L, 1100L), commingled recycling (240L, 660L, 1100L) and food organics (120L, 240L), all weekly, from a vetted local provider who delivers, services and invoices the centre directly. Booking is free and the exact price shows before you commit.
Two things are deliberately out of that scope. Nappy and sanitary bin servicing inside the rooms is a specialist hygiene service arranged separately with a hygiene contractor; the kerbside general bin is where the bagged nappy waste ends up, but the in-room units are not a wheelie bin service. And a standard centre does not generate clinical waste; if yours ever does, that needs a licensed clinical waste carrier, not a general bin.
If your kitchen produces real food scrap volume, a 120L organics bin is a low-cost way to start separating years before any tier forces it. It lightens the general bin, controls odour in summer, and turns the 2030 change into a non-event. What goes in which bin is covered in our recycling and organics sorting guide.
Enter your centre's address and get the exact weekly price for the setup in about two minutes. Adjust sizes once a term as enrolment moves.
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Only if the premises generates around 3,960 litres or more of general waste a week, roughly six 660L bins, which almost no single centre does. The threshold drops to around 1,980L in 2028 and 720L in 2030, and the 2030 tier will capture many centres.
A small centre without on-site cooking often runs one 240L general bin weekly. Centres with kitchens usually start at one 660L weekly, stepping to 1100L for large multi-room services. Nappy volume is the main driver.
No. Nappies are general waste only. Organics bins take food scraps, and one bag of nappies can contaminate a whole recycling or organics load.
No. In-room nappy and sanitary units are a specialist hygiene service arranged with a hygiene contractor. The weekly wheelie bin service handles the bagged waste that leaves the rooms.
More resources to help you choose the right bins, schedules, and services.
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