No Green Bin? Get One Free to Divert Food Waste

Published on: 2017/05/05 - in Releases

recycling and garbage

The City of Kingston wants to make sure every house has a green bin to divert food waste to help meet the goal of diverting 60 per cent of waste from landfill by 2018.

If you do not have a green bin – or if yours is broken – the City will deliver one to your doorstep.

“We want every household with curbside pick-up to have and use a green bin to divert food waste and soiled paper products. Putting them in the green bin keeps them out of landfill and allows them to be made into useful compost. The 2016 curbside waste audit told us that the average garbage bag in Kingston still contains 28 per cent (by weight) food waste. This tells us that we still have work to do!” says Heather Roberts, manager of solid waste.

This offer is not for households that already have a working green bin as the City can only collect one green bin per household a week.

She reminds residents that, as of May 1, collectors can no longer pick up green bins filled only with yard waste: they must see food waste – loose or in a liner – and/or soiled paper products in the bin in order to collect.

NEED A GREEN BIN?

Go to CityofKingston.ca/Greenbin to register to receive a free green bin if:

– You live in a house that has never had one.
– You had one, but it is now gone.
– Your house’s green bin is broken.

You do not have to be home to accept the green bin which will be delivered in June. Put your broken green bin out for pick-up the collection day after you receive your new one. Receiving a replacement green bin because yours is broken? Put your broken bin out for collection on Saturday, June 24. The City wants to ensure that these green bins get recycled by the manufacturer.

LOVE YOUR GREEN BIN: USE A LINER.

The City suggests using a homemade or commercial paper or BPI-certified compostable liner. Liners make it easy to transfer waste from the kitchen to the green bin and they help keep food waste from sticking to your green bin or kitchen container.

TIP: collect food waste in the freezer during the summer to prevent fruit flies and cut down on the “yuck” factor. Have your own green bin tip? Share it at #WasteNotYGK.

SHOW US YOUR FOOD WASTE!

The green bin must be used for food waste. Collectors are no longer allowed to pick up green bins filled with yard waste only – they must see food waste in the bin to collect it (loose or in a liner).

Green bin-collected organic waste costs $90 a tonne to process – more than twice the $35 a tonne it costs to process yard waste collected by the City in the fall or brought to the Kingston Area Recycling Centre.

For other tips on how to love your green bin, go to CityofKingston.ca/Greenbin.


Release and video: City of Kingston