Video: Ottawa’s Green Bin Program & Composting Process Explained
Using your green bin continues to be one of the best ways to help our environment.
Keeping organic waste out of the landfill lowers the amount of methane that is created and reduces greenhouse gases.
How do we get from here…and here…to there?
It starts from our homes –
– whether you live in a house or multi-residential property.
You can start the waste reduction process by taking the time to think about your organic waste and putting it in the green bin.
After all, our city produces over 80,000 tonnes of organic waste from the green bin annually. That is the weight of 11,000 elephants.
All food waste belongs in the green bin. This includes mouldy food, banana peels, egg shells, potatoes peels, meat bones, grease, cooking oil and any food scraps you will not consume.
Waste collection operators collect your green bin material weekly…
… and transport it to the organics processing facility.
The organics processing facility uses technology to reduce and eliminate odours throughout the process resulting in clean air and water vapour evaporating from the stack.
Trucks are weighed once as they enter the facility loaded with organics and again when they exit the facility empty.
Waste is dumped in the receiving area, known as the tipping floor.
Then it is placed in a machine that tears apart any bags containing waste.
Incoming organic material is mixed with material that has already been partially processed.
Mixed material is put into a tunnel so that aerobic – or “with oxygen” composting can take place.
The accelerated aerobic composting process takes place within 7–14 days, depending on its mixture. Good bacteria growth is encouraged by “cooking”…
… the material at 55 degrees Celsius for several days using recirculated water and air to activate the good bacteria, stimulate decomposition and generate heat. Disease-causing microorganisms, …
…also called pathogens, are eliminated throughout the process.
The material is fed from the tunnel …
… into another machine that screens outgoing material.
Plastic bags and other non-organic waste are separated and sent to landfill.
Organics that did not break down completely are reused as mixing material.
What do we end up with?
Alternative organic fertilizers or soil amendment products called Non-Agricultural Source Material (NASM) that is rich in nutrients and improves soil quality and…
… can also be used as animal bedding to help livestock for local farmers.
Organic processing facilities must follow federal and provincial regulations…
…and quality standards in producing outgoing materials…
…so that they are safe and our health and environment remains protected.
Learn more on how you can reduce waste and support the composting process…
…at Ottawa dot ca forward slash Green Bin.
What goes in your green bin
All food waste or scraps of any kind belong in your green bin.
This includes meat and fish, bones, egg shells, mouldy food etc. Not sure about where an item goes? Search the Waste Explorer.
Other acceptable items:
- Animal bedding for pets like hamsters or birds
- Barbeque ashes
- Butcher’s meat wrap
- Cold fireplace ash
- Cotton balls
- Dog feces in a sealed, leak-proof bag
- Dryer lint
- Floor sweepings, vacuum bags, and vacuum contents
- Food-soiled pizza boxes only (clean pizza boxes should go in the black bin)
- Household plants including soil
- Microwave popcorn bags
- Paper coffee cups, plates and muffin wrappers
- Pet fur, hair and feathers
- Soiled paper, boxboard and cardboard
- Soiled paper towels, napkins and tissues
- Sugar, flour and potato paper bags
- Waxed paper
- Wooden popsicle sticks and toothpicks
Note: Soiled tissues and large quantities of paper towel that is food soiled or used to dry hands after washing can be placed in a plastic or paper bag. This is to prevent litter from blowing around neighbourhoods during collection and to protect waste collectors from having the material blown into their face.
Yard waste
- Branches, twigs and hedge trimmings
- Leaves
- Plants and weeds
- Grass clippings
Note: Yard waste cannot be placed in any type of plastic bag including biodegradable or compostable bags.
Reuse Option
Leave your leaves! You can use them as a natural mulch. Rather than bagging leaves for curbside pick-up, put them in your gardens. This takes pressure off our waste collection crews throughout the pandemic. Plus, your flowerbeds will thank you in the spring.
Not allowed in the green bin
- Diapers and sanitary products
Green Bin Program – Curbside residential
Using the green bin takes advantage of weekly pickup, while garbage is collected bi-weekly.
Green Bin disposal options
Plastic bags can be used as a bagging option for household organics like pet waste in the green bin. Dog waste and soiled kitty litter must be contained in a sealed, leak-proof bag.
There is no need to purchase plastic or compostable bags. You can reuse common ones around your home:
- bread bags
- milk bags
- grocery and retail bags
The plastic bag option is just one of many that are tailored to our residents’ comfort level and interest. The other options include:
- Paper bags
- Newspaper linings in the kitchen counter container
How are organics in the plastic bags processed?
The organic waste facility has been retrofitted to rip open the plastic bags and separate the organic waste for composting. The plastic bags are then sent to landfill. The paper and compostable bags will begin to break down, along with the food and organic waste, while the material decomposes in the composting tunnels. Any paper and compostable bags that do not break down are screened from the compost. Smaller screened pieces may be recirculated through the process, bigger screened pieces are sent to landfill.
Can compostable or biodegradable bags be used to bag organic waste?
Plastic bags of any kind can be used to bag organic waste in the green bin. However, there is no need to purchase bags for this purpose. You can reuse common ones around your home. Compostable or biodegradable bags have no added benefit because they don’t break down fast enough during processing. Like all other plastic bags, they are separated from the organic waste and sent to the landfill.
Using the Green Bin: It’s in your best interest – environmentally and economically
Using the green bin, along with other recycling efforts, is one of the easiest things people can do to help our environment. Diverting organic waste from landfill lowers the amount methane – which contributes to greenhouse gases. In addition, diverting organic waste extends the life of the landfill – which saves millions of City dollars.
Bins
80 L bin - 16” wide by 33.5” high, 22” depth
46 L bin - 15.5” wide by 24” high, 18” depth
Kitchen catcher - 12.5” wide by 9.5” high, 8” depth
Green Bin Program – Apartment and multi-units
On April 27, 2022, Ottawa City Council approved a mandatory organics diversion program for all multi-residential properties. City staff are working with property owners, managers, and superintendents on a plan to bring green bins to all multi-residential properties.
On May 29, 2024, Council received an update on the implementation of the multi-residential waste diversion strategy which requires multi-residential properties to participate in the Green Bin program in order to receive waste collection services from the City. Multi-residential buildings account for 17 per cent of residential waste collected by the City. Of the multi-residential waste sent to landfill, about 58 per cent could have been recycled or put in the green bin. Providing these properties with the opportunity to divert organic waste helps the City reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while in turn prolonging the life of the Trail Waste Facility Landfill.
The City currently collects waste from approximately 2,300 multi-residential properties, of which about 52 per cent have a Green Bin program. From Q3 2024 to the end of 2028 the City will onboard the remaining properties through a mandatory process. The City will support residents with dedicated education and outreach to help them use a green bin, and work with property managers to address challenges and successfully introduce the program at their properties.
Looking to participate in the Green Bin program now? Contact your property manager for more information or to get started.
Green Bin disposal options
Plastic bags can be used as a bagging option for household organics like pet waste in the green bin. Dog waste and soiled kitty litter must be contained in a sealed, leak-proof bag.
There is no need to purchase plastic or compostable bags. You can reuse common ones around your home:
- bread bags
- milk bags
- grocery and retail bags
The plastic bag option is just one of many that are tailored to our residents’ comfort level and interest. The other options include:
- Paper bags
- Newspaper linings in the kitchen counter container
How are organics in the plastic bags processed?
The organic waste facility has been retrofitted to rip open the plastic bags and separate the organic waste for composting. The plastic bags are then sent to landfill. The paper and compostable bags will begin to break down, along with the food and organic waste, while the material decomposes in the composting tunnels. Any paper and compostable bags that do not break down are screened from the compost. Smaller screened pieces may be recirculated through the process, bigger screened pieces are sent to landfill.
Can compostable or biodegradable bags be used to bag organic waste?
Plastic bags of any kind can be used to bag organic waste in the green bin. However, there is no need to purchase bags for this purpose. You can reuse common ones around your home. Compostable or biodegradable bags have no added benefit because they don’t break down fast enough during processing. Like all other plastic bags, they are separated from the organic waste and sent to the landfill.
Using the Green Bin: It’s in your best interest – environmentally and economically
Using the green bin, along with other recycling efforts, is one of the easiest things people can do to help our environment. Diverting organic waste from landfill lowers the amount methane – which contributes to greenhouse gases. In addition, diverting organic waste extends the life of the landfill – which saves millions of City dollars.
When is the green bin collected?
Your green bin is collected each and every week, 52 weeks a year.
Residents are reminded to put their green bin and recycling out with their garbage by 7 am for collection on their assigned pick-up day. Lock the lid to prevent animals and pests from getting into the bin. Leaf and yard waste can be used to top up the green bin. It can also be placed in a separate container such as an unused garbage can with the lid off to ensure that collection workers see the leaf and yard waste.
Green bin tips
Keep it clean
- Line your green bin with flyers, newspaper or yard waste paper bags to help keep it clean.
- Reuse a plastic bag such as: bread bags, milk bags, grocery and retail bags etc., for bagging organic waste
- Rinse your green bin with a garden hose from time to time, especially if you don’t line your bin with paper.
- Rinse your green bin with lemon juice, vinegar or 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 and ensure easy removal of waste.
- Keeping your meat or fish scraps in the freezer until collection day helps reduce odours.
Keep animals and bugs away
- Keep your green bin away from fences and deck railings so that animals can't get into it.
- If you do place your bin near a fence or deck railing, secure it with a bungee cord so it doesn’t get knocked over.
- Sprinkling a strong smelling biodegradable repellent such as vinegar or detergent on your green bin helps 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 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.
- Peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, chili pepper or hot sauce can act as anti-gnawing repellents and help deter animals from taking an interest in your green bin.
Make collecting easier
- Switch your kitchen bin for your garbage pail and keep your garbage pail somewhere else.
- Keep indoor collection containers in your washrooms. Bathroom tissue, facial tissue and paper towels can be placed in the green bin.
- Invite the green bin to your next BBQ. It’s a great party guest for food scraps, paper napkins and paper plates.
Alternatives to buying a bin liner
- Use newspaper or any other paper-based product to line the bottom of your container(s).
- Reuse plastic bags such as; bread bags, milk bags, grocery and retail bags etc., for bagging your organic waste and dog feces.
- Make a homemade bin liner [PDF - 13 KB] from old newspaper. Get the kids involved and have fun with it.
- Paper coffee cups and waxed paper coffee cups go in your green bin, not in your black bin or blue bin. They can be used to hold cooking grease or kitchen sink guck before you put these things in your green bin.
- Use empty cardboard cereal, cracker and cookie boxes to collect food scraps in your kitchen. Most of them fit perfectly in your kitchen bin
What not to do
- Leaf and yard waste cannot be placed in any type of plastic bag including biodegradable or compostable bags. Leaf and yard waste is processed both at Convertus (composting facility) and Trail Road Waste Facility. Both sites use different processes, and Trail Road processing cannot separate plastic bags. If leaf and yard waste is placed at the curb in a plastic garbage bag, it will not get collected. Please continue using paper yard waste bags, or an approved empty container, to dispose of your leaf and yard waste.
- Clothing and textiles do not belong in your green bin. If you cannot donate these items, it can be disposed of through your regular curbside garbage.
Need paper liners for the green bin or kitchen container?
While it’s not necessary to use paper liners for your green bin, they are available at most major retailers. You can also use leaf and yard waste paper bags in the larger green bin.
Paper liners are available for sale at:
- Canadian Tire
- Giant Tiger
- Home Depot
- Home Hardware
- Loblaws
- Metro
- Rona
- Sobeys
- Costco
- Walmart
Leaf and yard waste
Things to remember
- Only use compostable paper yard waste bags or resuable containers clearly labelled for leaf and yard waste when setting out leaf and yard waste for collection
- Branches are to be tied in bundles of less than 120 cm (4 ft.) in length and 60 cm (2 ft.) in width. Individual branches should be less than 10 cm (4 in.) in diameter.
- Ensure containers and bundles are no more than 15 kg (33 lb.) in weight
- Leave grass clippings on the lawn.
- Remove soil and compost from plant roots.
- Leaf and yard waste will not be collected as regular garbage.
- All leaf and yard waste must be bundled using biodegradable material. Twine or string is the best option. Wire, duct tape and plastic twine will not biodegrade and is not accepted.
Please note: In 2026, when the new Residential Curbside Collection Contract comes into effect, leaf and yard waste will need to be set-out separately from green bin material. It can be placed in compostable paper yard waste bags or a reusable container, clearly labelled for leaf and yard waste.
This provides the City with the operational flexibility to bring leaf and yard waste to the Barnsdale leaf and yard compost pad at the Trail Waste Facility year-round, which is more cost-effective.
These items are not collected
- Plastic bags are NOT allowed for bagging leaf and yard waste
- Any material or tree cuttings over 10 cm (4 in.) in diameter
- No earth, rocks or sod
- No logs or stumps
- Leaf and yard waste should not be mixed with any other type of waste
Leaf and yard waste may not be disposed of on the street, sidewalk, boulevard or in parks in accordance with the City's Parks and Facilities By-law No. 2004-276. Anyone charged with this offence may be subject to a fine.
Avoid pick-up problems
- Clearly identify that the container is for leaf and yard waste
- Leave the lid off your leaf and yard containers on dry days
- Separate the yard waste containers from recycling and garbage by placing them on the opposite side of the driveway when possible
Reusing your grass clippings
Grass is rich in nutrients and can be used to keep your lawn healthy and fertile. Yard waste and grass clippings make up to 29 per cent of residential garbage during spring and summer. Use your grass clippings to feed your lawn and garden.
Leave clippings on your lawn
Grass clippings that are 6 mm to 13 mm (1/4" to 1/2") in length can be left on the lawn. Longer clippings should be placed in your garden or composter. Grass should always be cut before it goes to seed.
Put them in your garden
Leave your leaves! You can use them as a natural mulch option. Rather than bagging leaves for curbside pick-up, put them in your gardens. Your flowerbeds will thank you in the Spring.
Clippings are a soil enriching mulch for your garden. Scatter them in thin layers around flowers, vegetables, bushes and trees.
Put them in your composter
Clippings placed in a composter should be mixed with other compostable waste such as leaves, garden refuse and kitchen scraps. Your grass clippings will quickly decompose into rich compost.
NOTE: If you used herbicides, leave your grass clippings on the lawn. After the fourth cutting, resume placing grass clippings in your garden, bushes or in your composter.
Christmas trees and pumpkins - Disposal and reuse options
Saying goodbye to your Christmas tree?
Please remove all decorations from your tree and place it at the curb with your green bin no later than 7 am on your scheduled collection day. Trees will not be collected if they are wrapped in plastic bags, frozen in snowbanks or have decorations.
Once collected, Christmas trees are taken to the City’s contracted organics processing facility or to the Trail Road Waste facility. They are put through a composting process or are mulched and used to cover the garbage at the landfill.
Here are some wonderful reuse options that will keep the festive spirit alive:
- Leave the evergreen in your backyard to help provide shelter for wildlife and improve your soil as it decomposes.
- Use trimmed branches as garden stakes and supports for vegetable vines, flowers and bushes.
- Use branches or pieces of tree trunk to make rustic garden edging.
- Cut pieces bend and shape sticks to make tea candle bases, play dough stamps or hanging ornaments.
More tips on how to reduce food waste can be found on Ottawa.ca/wastereduction.
Donate it!
- Bring your tree to the National Capital Commission Christmas Tree drop off so that it can be used along the Rideau Canal Skateway. The drop off location is on Colonel By Drive, just west of the Bronson Avenue bridge.
- Reach out to the Vanderlaand Barnyard Zoo who accept Christmas trees for their animals to enjoy.
- Help create a windbreak at Kichi Sibi Winter Trail! Donated trees are accepted at Remic Rapids, 351 Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway from December through to February 28.
Pumpkins
Done with your festive pumpkin décor? Please remove any candles or decorations before placing your pumpkin in your green bin. You can also place the pumpkin on top or beside your green bin if it does not fit inside.
Here are some wonderful reuse and donation options for your pumpkins:
- Eat it! Pumpkin contains a long list of nutrients including vitamins A, B1, B6, and C, copper, fiber, folate, and manganese. Make…
- Pumpkin pie
- Pumpkin muffins
- Pumpkin puree (great for smoothies and pumpkin butter)
- Pumpkin soup
- Roasted/oven-baked pumpkin
- Roasted pumpkin seeds
- Repurpose it!
- Hollow out the pumpkin, fill it with birdseed and use it as a natural bird feeder.
- Put it in your garden and let it decompose naturally over winter. It’s a great fertilizer but please don’t put it in local forests.
- Donate it! Connect with your local community association or eco-group to see if they collect carved or intact pumpkins. Some community associations will donate carved pumpkins to farms and intact pumpkins to food centres.
Green Bins in Schools program
The Green Bins in Schools program is an extension of the City’s residential green bin program, and provides an excellent opportunity to educate children on how to use the green bin and to promote the benefits of waste diversion.
The program is provided free of charge by the City of Ottawa and offers an excellent hands-on opportunity for students to learn how to divert organic material such as food waste and soiled paper products from landfill. The City provides curbside green bins, classroom-sized containers, program signage, and weekly collection services.
The Green Bins in Schools program continues to grow every year with more than 230 (and counting!) Ottawa public and private schools now registered.
Benefits of Joining the Program
- The program is open to all elementary and secondary schools, including private schools. There is no cost to your school or school board for participating.
- Students are able to learn first-hand about what materials are accepted in the green bin and take this knowledge home to their families.
- Having a food waste diversion program in place at your school earns an additional three points towards your EcoSchools application.
- Participating in the Green Bins in Schools program helps students learn about and take action on an important local environmental initiative that contributes to the overall health of our environment.
What goes in the green bin?
Food waste and soiled paper products (e.g. pizza boxes, paper plates, muffin wrappers, paper towels from washrooms) can all go in the green bin. Paper towels with solvents and oil based paints on them cannot go into the green bin. Vegetable or water based ink/paints are acceptable.
Note: During COVID-19, paper towels must be placed in a plastic bag to protect waste collection staff from the virus.
Bagged leaf and yard waste will not be collected through the Green Bins in Schools program.
Where does green bin material go?
Organic waste from the Green Bin in Schools program is converted into compost that is sold to the farming community for use as a soil enhancer for agricultural crops.
Getting Started
- Ensure your school’s principal is supportive of the program, then complete and submit the online application form. If your browser does not allow you to complete the form, please contact Solid Waste Services to request a copy of the application form.
- A City waste inspector will contact your school to schedule a site visit to review program details and determine the safest and most convenient location for the bins on collection day.
- It is recommended that the head caretaker and staff involved in managing the program attend the site meeting as important information will be provided about the program.
- Following the site visit, the City will arrange for the delivery of the required number of containers and educational material.
- Once the school has received the containers, the program can begin.
What happens at the site meeting with the Waste Inspector?
During the site visit, the Waste Inspector will explain the program in detail and answer any questions you may have. The collection day set out location for the curbside green bins will be discussed at this meeting and a final location that is away from student drop-off/pick-up zones will be approved.
The Waste Inspector will also explain collection day by-law requirements, along with helping you determine the number and size of containers your school will need. It is recommended that your school’s head caretaker and interested teacher(s) participate in the site visit.
Collection Day
Bins must be set out by 7:00 am on collection day, and no earlier than 6:00 pm the night before collection day. Emptied green bins must be returned to school property by 10:00 pm on collection day.
Missed Collections
Green bin collection is between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm Please note that collection delays could occur during bad weather and/or during peak leaf and yard waste season (early spring and fall).
If your green bins have not been collected, please call 3-1-1 or submit an online request via Service Ottawa.
Helpful Program Tips
- Place bins in cafeterias, food preparation areas, classrooms, washrooms and the teachers’ lounge.
- Minimize odours and avoid fruit flies by emptying indoor bins daily.
- Wrap food waste and/or use paper liners to keep the bins clean.
- Hold a program launch event to raise awareness about the program and motivate students and staff to participate.
- Keep composting messaging top of mind by providing regular program updates, tips and information.
- Integrate waste diversion into the school curriculum!
- Involve students from the Eco Club as green bin ambassadors.
Program Signage and Education Material
The City provides program signage for the green bins and brochures/leaflets that provide a list of items accepted in the green bin. A collection calendar that notes the green bin collection day is also provided.
Additional or Replacement Bins
If your school needs additional bins, needs to replace damaged bins, or if you would like to arrange a pickup of bins that are no longer needed, please contact Solid Waste Services or call 3-1-1.
Helpful Program Resources
- Recycling Activity Book
- Loudlove’s “Put it in the Green Bin” video
- Green bin how-to video
- Waste Explorer tool - Type in a waste item and it will point you to the proper disposal method
School Board Contacts
Your school board environmental contact can provide you with promotional materials and additional suggestions to help improve your program.
- Conseil des écoles catholiques du centre-est: Claude Robineau, Surveillant d'entretien
robinc@ecolecatholique.ca; 613-744-2555 poste 3747 - Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de L’Ontario : Pierre Michaud Whalen, Responsable du programme ISO 14000 pour les élèves
pierre.michaud-whalen@cepeo.on.ca 613-742-8960 poste 2138 - Ottawa Carleton District School Board: Tom Thistle, Environmental Management Coordinator
tom.thistle@ocdsb.ca; 613-596-8211 ext. 3440 - Ottawa Catholic School Board: Doug Salt, Coordinator of Operations
Doug.salt@ocsbc.ca; 613-224-4455 ext. 3212
For More Information
General Inquiries: 3-1-1 (613-580-2400)
Toll-Free: 1-866-261-9799
TTY: 613-580-2401
- Get a blue, black or green bin delivered to your home
- The City will supply one blue and one black bin and one green bin per household.
- The Green Bin Program is available in apartment and other multi-residential properties. Please contact your property manager for more information.
Damaged or Missing Containers?
If you have a damaged, broken or missing recycling bin or green bin, you can request a replacement online. Please note that your damaged bin must be placed out by the curb for the exchange to take place. Otherwise, please call 3-1-1 to schedule an exchange.
Get a kitchen container, blue, black or green bin
Have you recently moved and containers are missing from your new property? Have they gone missing or do you require additional bins? Please use the following to request delivery of new bins:
Do not use other bins for organics collection
Please use the City of Ottawa green bin for organics collection. The bins have been specially designed and tested and are fitted for pick up by an automatic lifter on the collection vehicles.
Approved recycling containers
A curbside recycling container shall be ranging in size from forty-five (45) L to sixty (60) L, blue or black in colour.
For more details on approved container sizes, visit the City’s Solid Waste Management By-law.
- Green bins are collected weekly. If the week had a statutory holiday, your regular collection day may occur one day later.
- Waste collection contractors operate between 7 am and 6 pm; please wait until after 6 pm before submitting a request for missed collection.
- If your request concerns a missed collection, all material must remain at the curb to be collected once reported.
During the spring, waste collection operators have until 8 pm to collect leaf and yard waste. This is an extension of the normal 7 am to 6 pm collection hours; please wait until after 8 pm before submitting a request for missed collection.
- If your request concerns a missed collection, all material must remain at the curb to be collected once reported.
Leaf and yard waste is collected weekly. Your waste may not have been collected if:
- It was contained in plastic bags
- Any material or tree cuttings were over 10 cm or 4 inches in diameter
- It was mixed with any other type of material