Everything you need to know about London’s new green bin program

After waiting years for a green bin program to arrive, Londoners began to receive food waste collection containers on Monday for the program that launches Jan. 15. Distribution to 120,000 homes will continue until the middle of December. Reporter Heather Rivers outlines what you need to know about the program to keep food waste out of the landfill.

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With time and space running out at London’s dump, a curbside green bin composting program is a prerequisite to provincial approval to expand the W12A landfill on Manning Drive in south London. Green bin waste, to be collected weekly, is expected to divert up to 20,000 tonnes of waste annually from the landfill. Purchasing and delivering the green bins and kitchen containers is costing taxpayers about $3.4 million or $28 a household. When the program fully rolls out, it will cost about $4 million a year to operate or about $30 to $35 a household.

All residents who usually put garbage and recycling at the curb will receive a green bin. During the next two months, workers will deliver them to the end of residents’ driveways. Delivery will begin in the west end of the city, including Byron and Oakridge. Curbside collection won’t begin until the program starts in January.

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The centerpiece of the program is the 45-liter green bin container that can be left at the curb every week once collection begins. Inside the bin, residents will find a 10-liter kitchen container.

Just about any food scraps and waste from your plate or fridge can go into the kitchen container including baked goods, cereal, pasta, oil, fruits, vegetables, as well as all kinds of meats and proteins. As well, food-soiled paper products such as paper napkins, plates and pizza boxes are allowed.

Pet waste and diapers must go into the garbage.

Inside their green bin, Londoners will find information on how to participate in the program, as well as the collection schedule for 2024. Participants will dump food waste into the kitchen container. When it becomes full, food waste can be transferred into the 45-litre bin.

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Green bin material will be delivered to a Wellington Road South composting company in London called Convertus. It will turn the food waste into an organic soil amendment for farmers’ fields and produce a small quantity of high-grade compost that can be used in gardens. London benefits from the program because it increases waste diversion from 45 per cent to 55 to 57 per cent when fully operational. It also creates local jobs that benefit the economy.

In late 2023 and early 2024, city hall will start a pilot green bin project in about 10 multi-residential highrise buildings. Discussions about the program are slated for future budget deliberations.

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