Green Bin
Green Bin Organics Recycling
Green Bin organic waste is collected weekly on your regularly scheduled garbage pick-up day. A bag tag is not required for green bin collection. The program is not available for commercial use, large-scale public facilities or apartment buildings. Green bins ($60) and a counter top kitchen catcher ($12) can be purchased at Shire Hall, 332 Picton Main Street.
What goes in the Green Bin?
Organic material is collected by our curbside collection contractor and taken to a number of composting facilities within Ontario.
Acceptable Items:
– Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and bones
– Egg and dairy products
– Table scraps and plate scrapings
– Fruits and vegetables
– Bread, dough, pasta and grains
– Coffee grounds, filters and teas
– Kitchen paper towels
– Paper bags
– Coated paper take-out containers
– Paper napkins, waxed cardboard
– Paper cups, plates, carry-out trays (no lids, straws or creamers)
Invasive species should not be placed in the green bin. Instead, dispose of these with your regular household waste.
Pet waste cannot be disposed of in the green bin. Pet waste should be disposed of in the regular curbside waste pickup or at the County’s landfills or waste transfer sites.
How to use your Green Bin:
Using your Green Bin and Kitchen Catcher is easy. Simply follow these steps:
Step 1: Place organic material (e.g. meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and more) into your Kitchen Catcher. You can use a certified compostable liner bag, newspaper or cardboard, paper based bags or nothing at all.
Step 2: Empty your Kitchen Catcher into your Green Bin (along with the liner).
Step 3: Place a new bag or liner in your Kitchen Catcher (or use it without a liner).
Step 4: Place your Green Bin at the curb by 7am on your regular garbage collection day.
Green Bin Tips:
Keep it Clean!
- Line your Green Bin and Kitchen Catcher to help keep it clean. Use a paper based bag, a special compostable liner bag or use the Green Bin Liner Instructions to make your own from newsprint.
- Rinse your Green Bin and Kitchen Catcher from time to time with water or lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda to reduce odours and keep bugs out.
- Spray your Green Bin with cooking oil in the winter to minimize risk of items freezing to the bin.
- Ice is nice. Keeping your meats or fish scraps in the freezer until collection day helps reduce odour.
Keep Animals and Bugs Away!
- Sprinkling a strong smelling compostable repellent such as vinegar or detergent on your Green Bin will help keep pests away.
- Remember to lock the lid to keep animals out of your Green Bin.
- Capture fruit flies with a bowl of vinegar covered by plastic wrap with several small holes in it. Empty as required.
- If maggots appear in the Green Bin, a fly has laid eggs on exposed food waste. Put salt or vinegar on maggots to kill them.
- Peppermint oil, cayenne, chili pepper or hot sauce can deter animals from taking an interest in your Green Bin.
Line Your Green Bin and Kitchen Catcher!
To reduce odours and mess, line your green bin and kitchen catcher with paper based liner bags or Certified Compostable plastic bags. If you don’t want to purchase liners, you may use newspaper or paper-based products to line the bottom of your green bin and kitchen catcher. You can also make your own home-made bin liner.
Backyard composting:
The County of Prince Edward recognizes the benefits of composting organics in your own backyard, particularly the cost benefits composting at home can have on the overall waste management budget.
Visit this page for more tips, tricks, and resources for setting up and managing your backyard composter.