Whether you store your mini bin under the sink or on your kitchen counter, the City of Hamilton’s Green Cart Program significantly helps reduce the amount of garbage that goes into our landfills. In fact, almost half of household waste is organic. While most compostable items being thrown away come from the kitchen, you may be surprised to know what other household garbage can in fact be destined for your green bin.
Aside from your typical kitchen compostable items like eggs shells, coffee grinds and filters, vegetables, bread, meat scraps, and bones, a few lesser known household items can also be thrown into your mini bin.
“Some other examples would be pet and people hair, dryer lint, greasy pizza boxes, parchment paper and freezer paper,” says Jacquie Colangelo, Waste Management’s Queen of Green. “When I talk about paper, I like to say dirty wet paper –so tissues, paper towels, paper napkins, paper cups and plates.” Paper destined for the blue box should be clean and dry, whereas soggy paper products that are dirty should be added to your green bin, although Colangelo does admit that some sensitive documents that you’d rather not put in the recycling bin can be put into your green cart. “You can put personal information right into your green cart if you’re afraid of identity theft. No one is going to go green cart diving.”
Lining your compost bin helps reduce some of the mess and odour as food waste decomposes in your bin. There are many options when it comes to lining your green bin. You can buy the compostable liners at the grocery store, but if you’re trying to save a few dollars, the Queen of Green has some other great suggestions for lining your cart.
“You can use are paper bags, wax paper, newspaper, flyers, butcher paper, freezer paper or parchment paper,” Colangelo says, adding that microwavable popcorn bags also make great bin liners. For those really messy items going into your mini bin, Colangelo recommends using ice cream cartons, but make sure you’re using the carton, not the plastic ice cream tub. “There are a lot of other items that you can use instead of a compostable liner,” Colangelo says. Paper cups are another great solution when you’re dumping liquid kitchen waste, such as grease into your bin. The cup can then be placed directly into the mini bin. If you do buy the compostable liners, make sure the bags have the compostable logo. This logo distinguishes that products are certified and accepted by Hamilton’s Green Cart Program.
So what’s the difference between your backyard composter and the city’s green cart? There are some items like meat and bones that you shouldn’t put in your composter because they can attract animals looking for a free meal. Putting these kitchen scrapes in your green bin will help keep these unwanted critters away from your yard.
For the full list of what items can go in your mini bin and green cart, visit
www.hamilton.ca/waste.
