Green Residue Collection (including Food)

WHAT IS GREEN RESIDUE?

All organic garden waste, including grass clippings and leaves.

Grasscycling and backyard composting are the best cost-effective options to help reduce material at the source, without the need to transport it to a treatment centre.

 

ACCEPTED MATERIALS40l bin

 

Food (Kitchen) Residue (raw, cooked or spoiled) 

  • Meat and poultry (including skin, fat and bones)
  • Fish and seafood (including shells, skin and bones)
  • Dairy products
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Bread, pasta, rice and other cereal products
  • Coffee grinds and tea bags
  • Eggs and shells
  • Nuts and shells
  • Vegetable oils and fats (small amounts) 
  • Herbs, spices, sauces and dressings
  • Sweets and snacks
  • Meal leftovers (food scraps)
  • Corn cobs 
 
Green Residue
  • Garden residue (flowers, plants, weeds) 
  • Grass clippings and other plants 
  • Leaves, twigs, evergreen needles, sawdust, straw 
  • Shrub roots and household plants 
Other residue material 
  • Non-waxed paper plates
  • Paper (clean or soiled): tissue paper, paper towels, paper napkins, newspapers, muffin liners 
  • Compostable plates, bowls, utensils and toothpicks
  • Animal food
  • Human or animal hair, feathers
  • Cold ashes produced by burning untreated wood 
 

REFUSED MATERIALS 

  • Plastic bags (regular, biodegradable or compostable)
  • Recyclable materials
  • Household hazardous waste
  • Animal feces, used pet litter and pads
  • Diapers, incontinence pants, sanitary napkins and tampons, cotton swabs, dental floss
  • Fabrics and clothing, shoes
  • Dryer lint, dust, wax
  • Dead animals (wild or pets)
  • Waxed paper or styrofoam
  • Wood and ceramic
  • Branches
  • Cigarette butts
  • Chewing gum
  • Branches, soil, rocks and sand

 

COLLECTIONSsacs verts

orange bins

The collection days are the first Monday of each month until April.  Consult the Collection Calendar for details.

  • Green residue must be placed in cardboard boxes, bins (except the blue bin) or paper bags.
  • Neither plastic bags or blue bins, nor branches will be collected.
  • Warning! Do not put food residue in paper bags or cardboard boxes.
  • Food residue MUST be placed in a bin size 40 litres or more, WITH A COMPLETELY CLOSED LID.
  • Green and food residue can be mixed together on condition that it is put in a bin with a lid.
     

To properly manage food residue

The use of paper bags or newspaper is convenient for placing food in the bin used to collect your green residue because the paper:
  • absorbs moisture
  • minimizes odours
  • contains insects that may be present in the organic matter
  • prevents residue from sticking to the surface of the bin
  • is useful for freezing residue during the hottest months of the year
Use a simple origami technique
The origami or kitchen catcher made with newspaper is an easy and effective way to keep things clean when disposing of your organic matter! Click here to learn more (PDF)
 

Paper bags to use for the collection

Examples of ACCEPTED bags:
 
    2ply                bagtoearth        
Paper bag with paper liner     Paper bag with cellulose liner
 
 
 
Examples of REFUSED bags:

 

   liners             brownbags      ecosafe bag
Paper bag with compostable liner      Compostable bag        Compostable bag    

 

 

OVERLOOKED BIN OR BAG?

Make sure collection instructions were followed: day and time, bin position, accepted container, container weight, accepted materials, etc. If all instructions were followed, report the situation to Public Works the same evening after 7 p.m. or before 10 a.m. the next day.
Requests received after 10 a.m. the day following the collection will not be processed.