Food Scraps & Yard Trimmings Recycling
We've got an aggressive new waste reduction goal and a new food scr
aps recycling program to help us reach it.
The City is collecting food scraps from residents who currently receive yard trimmings collection under our new Green Can program. Recycling food scraps will help us reach our new waste diversion goal of 70% by 2015.
Please note: At this time, the City is unable to provide food scraps collection service to businesses or multi-units residences such as apartments, condominiums, or townhouses. This service will be considered in future program phases. The Recycling Depot and Ecowaste are not accepting food scraps for recycling but continue to accept yard and garden trimming materials.
- Preparing your Green Can
- Four steps to recycling food scraps and yard trimmings
- What to recycle
- No change in Blue Box recycling service
- No change in Garbage service
- Promotional and Educational Resources
Preparing your Green Can
To participate in the program, you will need a garbage-type can to hold your food scraps and yard trimmings.
| Make any 80 litres or smaller can a Green Can | |
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Resident provide their own garbage-type can of 80 litres (22" high x 19" wide) or smaller and must weight less than 20 kilograms (44 pounds) when filled. Any colour will do! Attach a Green Can decal to the can. Extras are available free of charge at any City facility, or you can Order a Decal Online. |
| Choose a food scraps container for your kitchen | |
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An ice cream pail or any large reusable container will do the job. |
| Use large paper yard trimmings bags to hold extra yard trimmings | |
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If you have extra yard trimmings, use large paper yard trimmings bags (available at local retailers) or additional 80 litre garbage cans marked with Green Can decals. |
| Yard trimmings also collected in bundles | |
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Yard trimmings in tied bundles no larger than 3 feet x 2 feet (91 cm x 61 cm) in size will continue to be collected. |
Four steps to recycling food scraps and yard trimmings
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Collect food scraps in your kitchen food scraps container |
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Empty your kitchen food scraps container into your Green Can |
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Place yard trimmings in your Green Can along with food scraps. Please note: Green Can lined with compostable or biodegradable plastic bags will not be collected. See Top 10 Tips for ideas on how to maintain your Green Can. Extra yard trimmings can go in large paper yard waste bags or additional labeled Green Cans or in tied bundles 3 feet x 2 feet (91 cm x 61 cm). |
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Set your Green Can/s, with Green Can decal facing the street, at the curb along with unlimited paper yard waste bags, tied bundles of yard trimmings and Blue Box and garbage by 7:30 a.m. on your regular collection day. |
What to recycle in your Green Can
With the new food scraps program, residents who now receive yard trimmings collection can recycle even more! This include items such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, table scraps, meat and bones, pizza delivery boxes and paper towels and much more along with yard and trimmings.
For complete lists of what to recycle see Food Scraps & Yard Trimmings.
For yard trimmings drop-off locations see Yard & Garden Trimmings Drop-Off.
For information on home composting see Composting at Home.
No change in Blue Box recycling service
There is no change in the City's recycling program for residents with blue box and blue cart collection services. All that residents need to do is to ensure their recycling materials are placed at the curbside by 7:30 a.m.
No change in garbage service
There is no change in the City's garbage collection service. All that residents need to do is ensure their garbage is placed at the curbside by 7:30 a.m.
Promotional and Educational Resources
For more information on the City of Richmond's Green Can Food Scraps and Yard Trimmings Recycling program, see our Frequently Asked Questions, call
604-276-4010 or email Garbage and Recycling.
