Keeping your green bin clean

Organics recycling is an important part of the City of Ottawa’s long term Waste Strategy. Diverting residential organic waste away from landfill saves the City millions of dollars and reduces the need for additional landfill sites.

Your green bin is now being collected each and every week, 52 weeks a year.
 

Warm weather tips

• Rinse the green bin with your garden hose periodically to keep it clean, especially if you don’t line your bin with paper
• Capture fruit flies (more common during warm weather) with a bowl of vinegar covered with plastic wrap with several small holes in it. Empty as required
• Put salt or vinegar on maggots to kill them. If maggots appear in the green bin, a fly has laid eggs on some exposed food waste
• Wrap wet food waste (e.g. meat, fish, fruit and vegetable waste) in old newspaper or used paper towel
• Use the special food waste bag or other paper (e.g. grocery popcorn, sugar, flour or potato) bags to hold your material
• Put meat and fish waste into a paper bag and then in your freezer until collection day
• Alternate layers of food waste with layers of dry waste (e.g. leaves, dead plants, sawdust, wood shavings)
• Periodically rinse the green bin using a mild detergent or white vinegar/water solution immediately after collection
• Sprinkle a small amount of powdered garden lime, baking soda or powered laundry detergent (no bleach) in the green bin

Cold weather tips

• Spray your green bin with cooking oil in the winter to minimize risk of items freezing to the bin and ensure easy removal of waste
• Put newspaper in the bottom of your green bin to prevent contents from freezing
• Wrap wet food waste (e.g. meat, fish, fruit and vegetable waste) in old newspapers, used paper towels or cereal boxes
• Use popcorn, sugar, flour or potato paper bags to hold your material to prevent waste from freezing to bin
• Large paper bin liners may be purchased for your green bin at local retailers
• Store your green bin in an accessible location during the winter months where there is easy access to the curb
• Set out your green bin the morning of collection day (before 7 a.m.) rather than the night before

Find the complete list of what goes in your green bin.