York Region's Green Bin Program

		The Green Bin is Growing! All York Region households receiving curbside collection are able to place their organic waste into the Green Bin. The Green Bin program can divert over 40% of your waste from landfill. The material collected is composted and used for agricultural and horticultural use, as well as land reclamation projects, erosion control and more.  Organic materials include:   Food waste Soiled Paper products Pet waste Diapers and sanitary products For a complete list of acceptable materials, click here.   For more information on the accepted materials and the ins and outs of the Green Bin watch the following two videos.  Click here, to learn the ins and outs of what's accepted in the Green Bin.  Click here, to learn more about what happens to your Green Bin waste.   York Region has increased its waste diversion from 24% in 2004 to 53% in 2008.  Join us as we continue to move toward our goal of a minimum of 65% waste diversion by 2010!

 

Organic materials are compostable, meaning they break down naturally using micro-organisms found in the natural environment to make compost, a nutrient-rich, soil-like material that enhances soil structure and improves plant growth when added to your garden or landscaping project. Food, yard waste and certain paper products as well as pet waste are all considered organic materials.

 

 

 

The Green Bin material is picked up by one of the nine local municipalities curbside, and depending on where you live, delivered to either the Region's Waste Management Centre in East Gwillimbury or to a private transfer station under contract to the Region. From here the organic waste is transported to one of several, licensed composting facilities under contract to York Region.   Back to top

 

 

At most of the facilities receiving the Region's Green Bin compostables, the trucks enter an enclosed "receiving hall".  There, the compostables are dropped on a concrete floor to await processing.  The Green Bin compostables are then fed into a machine where the plastic bags  holding the compostables are opened mechanically.  Depending on the technology used by the Region's contractor, the material can then go through one of several processes.  In a typical aerobic (with oxygen) composting system, the Green Bin material is mixed with yard waste to "bulk up" the material, reduce it's overall moisture content and initiate the composting process. At the Region's newest contractor's site, Orgaworld Canada, the material is then loaded into long concrete enclosed tunnels inside a building, where the material is composted under climate controlled conditions.

 

Existing micro-organisms in the food waste break down the material naturally producing compost. The material goes through an initial rapid breakdown known as the thermophilic stage. This process creates heat that pasteurizes or sterilizes the compost, ridding the material of any pathogens or harmful bacteria. It's this pasteurization phase that allows York Region to accept animal feces and diapers in its Green Bin and still produce a compost that's safe to use.

 

The compost is screened to remove any plastics or contaminants and then placed outdoors to mature for the final composting stage.  At this point the material is still breaking down but at a much slower rate and at lower temperatures to produce the finished, stabilized material we all recognize at our local nursery as compost. Once complete the compost is tested to ensure it meets the strict guidelines set out by the Ministry of the Environment. The finished product is then used in a variety of applications including horticultural and agricultural use, land reclamation and roadside erosion control.

 

 

 

It's recommended that you keep your large Green Bin in the garage or in an area of easy access. Your small kitchen container can be placed under your kitchen sink or on your counter for convenience. There are 2 ways to use the Green Bin Program.

 

 

Option 1. Line your kitchen container with a bag – compostable bags and paper bags are preferred, but plastic grocery bags currently accepted as liners. In the case of plastic bags we do encourage you to minimize the quantity of bags you use as they end up as residue and are landfilled at the end of the process. Place your kitchen scraps and organic materials in the kitchen container. Once the bag is full, tie it and place in the large Green Bin.

 

 

Option 2. Line the Green Bin with a large bag. Paper, compostable or plastic bags are accepted. Before collection, tie the large bag inside the Green Bin.

 

In order to meet health and safety regulations, please ensure that all organics are bagged and nothing is loose in the Green Bin.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Only line one container - do not double bag your waste as the equipment used to open the bags can not typically open double bags of organics.

 

Paper, compostable or plastic bags can be used to line the green bin. The bags are recommended for odour control and for the health and safety of the collection crews, so please do not place your organics loose in your Green Bin. At the end of the composting process, plastic residue from the plastic bags will be removed from the finished product.

 

Fruits and vegetables
 
Meat and Fish Products

Grain Products
Includes pasta, bread, rice and cereal
 
Baked goods or baking ingredients
Includes cake, cookies, flour, sugar, spices, eggs and egg shells
 
Dairy Products
Includes milk, cheese and yogurt
 
Other food products
Includes candy and confectionary, coffee grounds, coffee filters and tea bags
 
Paper Products
Includes paper towels, facial tissue, muffin paper, microwave popcorn bags and paper candy wrappers
Note: the following paper products are recyclable and are best placed in the Blue Box, but if they are heavily soiled with food they are accepted in the Green Bin program.
Soiled paper plates and cups, boxboard and cardboard (pizza boxes), flour and sugar bags, moulded pulp trays (egg cartons & take-out trays), newspaper, polycoat containers (ice cream containers) and kraft paper (meat wrap)
 
Personal Hygiene
Includes diapers, sanitary products, incontinence products, nail clippings and hair
 
Pet Waste
Includes kitty litter, dog waste, pet bedding and fur, feathers, pet food and bird seed
 
Other
Includes small amounts of shredded paper, houseplants including soil, flowers (dried and fresh cut) and sawdust (wood sources only - not pressure treated. No sawdust from melamine, composite wood, particle board, etc. will be accepted).

 

 

 

Items that are not compostable or may contain composite synthetic materials are not accepted in the Green Bin program. Examples of these include:
 
Artificial Flowers & Plants
Ashes
Baby Wipes
Candles
Carpet & Rugs
Cigarette Butts
Clothing, Leather & Textiles
Corks
Cotton Balls, Ear Cleaners & Makeup Removal Pads
Dead Animals
Disposable Mop Sheets
Dryer Lint
Dryer Sheets
Foil
Gum
Lint
Milk Bags
Popsicle Sticks
Styrofoam
Tissue Paper for Gift Bags
Plastic Wrap & Baggies
Wax Paper
Wood
Toothpicks
Vacuum Cleaner Bags & Contents
Yard Waste

 

 

 

The nine local municipalities in York Region are responsible for providing residents with Green Bin containers as well as the collection of your Green Bin. For details regarding the Green Bin containers or your local municipal collection program, please click on one of the following links:

 

Aurora	East Gwillimbury	Georgina
King	Markham	Newmarket
Richmond Hill	Vaughan	Whitchurch-Stouffville

 

For more information please e-mail us at:  greenbin@york.ca or call York Region at 1-877-464-9675 or (905) 895-1200 and press 3 for waste management information.