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Compost and Green Bin
Compostable material like food scraps and soiled paper products can be placed in the green bin. Local municipalities in York Region collect green bin material weekly and deliver it to York Region for processing.
To see if a specific item is accepted in the green bin, please use Bindicator.
Want some garden gold? Help the earth out a little and try composting.
Composting is nature’s way of recycling; turning your kitchen scraps and yard clippings into a much needed nutrient-rich additive for your soil.
Thank you to everyone that participated in our 2019 Backyard Sale, we sold 998 composters! Stay tuned for details on the Spring 2020 sale.
Some local municipalities sell backyard composters year-round, please contact your local town or city to find out more information.
For more information on how to use your composter and the benefits composting can provide check out our Composting Made Easy brochure.
The benefits of composting include:
- better quality soil in your garden or lawn
- providing your garden with minerals and nutrients needed by growing plants
- less watering; compost acts as a natural sponge
- a home-made, all-natural nutrient for your garden
- no need to buy chemical fertilizers
- less waste leaving your home
- reduced methane emissions and carbon footprint.
- compost is easy to make and free
Not sure if your yard is big enough? Try purchasing an indoor vermi-composter (using worms) or Bokashi composter (using fermentation). Search for composters online to find retailers that sell these indoor systems.
Composter - Set Up Instructions
Setting up Your Backyard Composter
To set up your compost bin, follow these steps:
- Choose a sunny location with good drainage that is easy to access
- To prevent pests or rodents from disturbing the composter, place a base of chicken wire on the ground and set the composter on top of the base
- Layer green materials high in nitrogen like kitchen scraps and grass clippings with brown materials high in carbon like dried leaves. Alternate the layers and turn the compost regularly. Add a thin layer of soil periodically to add more micro-organisms and speed up the composting process
- Add water if needed. Compost should feel damp like a wrung out sponge
Compost is ready when the texture is dark and crumbly and has a pleasant earth-like smell. It usually takes about one year to produce rich compost.
Composter - Accepted / Not Accepted
What Can Go In A Backyard Composter?
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Egg shells
- Flowers
- Fruits and vegetables
- Grass clippings
- Hair
- Leaves
- Plants
- Rice, bread and pasta
- Sawdust
- Straw or hay
- Tea bags and tea leaves
- Weeds before they seed
- Wood chips
What Should Not Go In A Backyard Composter?
- Bones
- Dairy Products
- Dog or cat waste
- Fatty foods like cheese
- Fish
- Leftover cooking oil
- Meat
- Plants infected with disease
- Rhubarb leaves and other toxic plants
- Salad dressing
- Walnut shells and leaves
- Weeds with mature seeds
Composter - Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
Backyard Composting Tips
- Turn your compost with a garden fork to allow air flow; ideally once every two to four weeks
- Chop waste into smaller pieces for faster decomposition
- Avoid adding a thick layer of any one material type, particularly grass; mix it with other materials
Compost through the winter; the composting process slows down but speeds up again in the spring
Composting Made Easy Newsletter
Read more tips and tricks in our past editions of the enewsletter.
- Composting Made Easy - Newsletter #1
- Composting Made Easy - Newsletter #2
- Composting Made Easy - Newsletter #3
- Composting Made Easy - Newsletter #4
Join the Splash enewsletter to stay informed on environmental topics, tips, events, FAQ's and more.
Green Bin - Accepted / Not Accepted
What is Accepted
Items accepted in the green bin include:
Food Products
- Baking ingredients like cake, cookies, flour, sugar, spices, eggs and eggshells
- Dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt
- Fruits and vegetables
- Grain products like pasta, bread, rice and cereal
- Meat and fish products like bones, fat, skin and shellfish
- Other foods like candy, coffee grounds, coffee filters and tea bags
Paper Products
- Facial tissue
- Microwave popcorn bags
- Muffin paper
- Paper plates (food soiled
- Paper towels
Personal Hygiene Products
- Diapers
- Hair
- Incontinence products
- Nail clippings
- Sanitary products
Pet Waste
- Bird seed
- Cat litter
- Dog waste
- Feathers
- Fur
- Pet bedding
- Pet food
Other Compostable Products
- Houseplants including soil and flowers
- Sawdust from wood (not pressure treated or from melamine, composite wood, or particle board)
- Small amounts of shredded paper
What is Not Accepted
Items not accepted in the green bin include:
- Artificial flowers and plants
- Ashes
- Baby wipes
- Candles
- Carpet and rugs
- Cigarette butts
- Clothing, leather and textiles
- Corks
- Cotton balls, ear cleaners and makeup removal pads
- Dead animals
- Disposable mop sheets
- Dryer lint
- Dryer sheets
- Foil (place clean foil in your Blue box)
- Gum
- Lint
- Milk bags
- Styrofoam, protective packaging and foam take-out food containers
- Tissue paper for gift bags
- Plastic wrap and baggies
- Wax paper
- Wood
- Vacuum cleaner bags & contents
- Yard waste
Green Bin - Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions and Tips for Using Your Green Bin
My green bin wasn’t collected, who do I contact?
Curbside collection including green bin collection in York Region is managed by the local municipalities. Please visit local municipal websites or your waste collection calendar for more information on your green bin collection schedule.
What can I use to line my green bin?
Line your green bin with certified compostable, paper or plastic bags. Certified compostable or paper bags are preferred.
How can I reduce odours?
Odours can be reduced by keeping your green bin clean. Rinse regularly and wash with vinegar, baking soda or another natural cleaner.
Keep organic material dry by wrapping material in newspaper and store meat and bones in the freezer until collection.
Sprinkle baking soda to help absorb odours.
What happens to my green bin materials?
Watch our video to learn what happens to your green bin waste.
