When will the Green Bin program begin in London?

    London’s Green Bin program for curbside households is scheduled to begin the week of January 15, 2024. The first collection zone to receive Green Bin collection will be Zone D.  

    How and when do residents receive a Green Bin?

    Residents will receive a Green Bin and kitchen container this fall. 


    London’s first Green Bins have begun to be delivered to households. They will be delivered to approximately 120,000 households in London beginning in mid-October and will take about two months to complete deliveries Green Bins will be placed at the end of homes’ driveways for residents to collect and store until Green Bin materials begin to be collected. 

     

    Londoners will need to hold onto their Green Bin after it is delivered, and only begin placing it to the curb once the program begins the week of January 15, 2024. 

     

    Inside the Green Bin will be a copy of the new 2024 Waste Reduction and Conservation Guide. The new Guide will contain information on how to use the Kitchen Container and Green Bin, what materials go inside the Green Bin, what materials must not be placed in the Green Bin, and how and when it should be placed at the curb.

     

    A Kitchen Container will also be included in the Green Bin when it is delivered and is designed to collect organic waste from your kitchen before it goes in the Green Bin. It provides a quick and convenient way for you to collect your food scraps, catch them from going into the garbage, and keep them from causing odours indoors. It could be stored on or under your Kitchen Counter. When the container is full, contents can then be moved to your Green Bin (only when the program begins the week of January 15, 2024).

     

    Some households who already compost may be familiar with the idea of a Kitchen Container, and some families have been using containers or tins already to collect food scraps for their home compost.

    What types of items will be accepted in the Green Bin program?

    Accepted materials will include kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable peelings, meats, chicken, fish, bread, paper towels, and other food waste such as fats, oils and grease.

    When your Green Bin is delivered, look inside it to find a guide with more details about how to use the Green Bin and what items should and shouldn’t be placed in it when the program starts.

    What are the sizes and measurements of the bins?

    Green Bins are 45 litres in capacity.  There measurements are 68.58 cm (27 inch) to top of handle, 46.99 cm (18.5 inches) in depth, and 40.64 cm (16 inches) in width.  

    Kitchen Containers are 7 litres in capacity.  They are 29.53 cm (11.625 inches) in width, and 23.18 cm (9.125 inches) height and depth.

    Can I line the Green Bin and Kitchen Container with a bag?

    Compostable liners are accepted in the Green Bin.  You do not have to use compostable liners in your Green Bin or Kitchen Container, but they can help contain liquids and odours.  Paper such as newsprint can also be used to line your containers.  When purchasing compostable liners, select a liner that has the required certified compostable logo on the box (and bags).  Certified compostable logos


    Certified composable (plastic) bags, and paper bag liners can be purchased from hardware and grocery stores, as well as online.

    How do I keep my kitchen scraps from sticking to my bin?

    Certified compostable liners for London’s Green Bin program will be permitted. Although not required, a liner is used to help keep containers clean, absorb liquids, help contain odours and they will prevent food scraps from sticking to the bottom of the bins. If wet food scraps freeze and stick to the bottom of the bins, not all the contents will be emptied during collection.  Residents can also use newspaper to line the bottom of the bin.

    You can purchase bags for use in the kitchen container or Green Bin.  There are both certified composable (plastic) bags, and paper bags in the market. Liners can be purchased from hardware and grocery stores, as well as online.

    How will garbage collection change when the Green Bin is implemented?

    Every curbside household will receive a new collection zone 2024 collection schedule. The new schedule incorporates the specific biweekly garbage collection schedule for that area, including changes before or after a statutory holiday.

    Green Bin contents and recycling would be collected on the same day each week when the Green Bin program begins, and garbage collection would follow a bi-weekly schedule collected every other week on the same day. 

    Beginning the week of January 15, 2024, your Green Bin and recycling will be picked up every week. Your garbage will be picked up every other week. 

    One week your Green Bin and recycling will be collected, and the next week garbage, Green Bin, and recycling are collected. 

    The collection day will remain the same day each week until there is a Statutory Holiday. There will not be any collection service on most Statutory Holidays. All Zones will move forward one day, and this will become the same collection day each week until the next Statutory Holiday.

    How do I store the items from in my kitchen?

    When the Green Bin program begins, residents will be supplied with a small container to collect food waste to make collection of organics more convenient. This is typically referred to as a ‘kitchen container,’ and it can be used to collect items in your kitchen that can later be placed in your Green Bin. It could be stored on or under your kitchen counter. When the container is full, or when needed, empty the contents into your Green Bin. 

    What can I do with my food waste right now?

    There are two immediate actions you can take if you are not already doing these.

    First, avoid the creation of food waste. On average, each London household wastes between $600 and $700 worth of food, per year, that could have been eaten. Tips to reduce food waste include:

    • Plan your meals and make a grocery list
    • Stick to your list and buy only what you need
    • Eat leftovers or freeze them for later
    • Use the most perishable food first
    • Store your food properly so it does not spoil

    Second, composting is nature's way of recycling. Compost is a natural process and returns nutrients and organic matter to the soil, and feeds beneficial micro-organisms, insects and worms. It improves the texture, oxygen-retaining capabilities, and moisture-holding capacity of the soil. Digesting is similar but it can take a longer list of materials such as meats and dairy but it does not create a compost product. Composters and digesters can be purchased at an EnviroDepot for $20 each (taxes included). You can learn more about composting at home at london.ca/compost.

    Will apartments be participating in the Green Bin Program?

    The Green Bin program beginning in January is for households that already have their garbage and recycling collected at the curb. 

    A Green Bin pilot project is also being designed to begin in approximately 10 apartment buildings. The start date and participating buildings are still to be determined.

    • A Green Bin pilot project for some apartment buildings will begin in late 2023 or early 2024. 
    • The multi-residential pilot project will be conducted to ensure both qualitative and quantitative data is collected. The findings will assist with future rollout of a source separated Green Bin program to multi-residential households. Implementing a Green Bin pilot project program in apartment buildings in the late fall (2023) will provide an opportunity to demonstrate the collection of Green Bin materials in multi-residential buildings prior to the required implementation timelines set in the Food and Organic Policy. 
    • Implementing a Green Bin pilot project program in apartment buildings in the late fall (2023) will provide an opportunity to demonstrate the collection of Green Bin materials in multi-residential buildings prior to the required implementation timelines set in the Food and Organic Policy.

    Will the Green Bin program be made available to businesses or business offices?

    London’s Green Bin program will not be provided to businesses at this time.