At most of the facilities receiving the Region's Green Bin materials, the trucks enter an enclosed "receiving hall".  There, the Green Bin organics are first fed into a machine where the bags 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 a small amount of yard waste to "bulk up" the material, reduce it's overall moisture content and initiate the composting process. At one of the Region's contracted sites, 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 pet waste and diapers in its Green Bin program, yet still produce a compost that's safe to use.

 

Paper bags and certified compostable bags will break down during this process. The composted material is then screened to remove any plastic pieces 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 material we know 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.