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Food Scraps & Yard Trimmings Recycling

Top 10 Tips

Looking for advice on how to best recycle food scraps and yard trimmings?  Want to keep your Green Can clean and odour free? Consider our top ten tips for successful food scraps and yard trimmings.
 Top 10 Tips for Successful Food Scraps and Yard Trimmings


Tip #1
 Check the chart of what is and is not acceptable. See Food Scraps and Yard Trimmings.
Tip #2
Kitchen counter bucket		 Put a container such as an ice cream pail on the kitchen counter or under the sink to capture all your vegetable and fruit peelings, table scrapings and more.
Tip #3
Green Can with Kitchen Container		 Empty your kitchen container frequently into your Green Can. Put your Green Can out for collection every week even if it's not full.
Tip #4
Green Can Layering Idea		 Keep your kitchen container and Green Can clean by rinsing often. Although not necessary, if you want to line your bins, use newspapers, used paper towels, paper grocery bags or paper bin liner bags available at retailers.
Tip #5
Baking Soda		 Keep animals and insects out and odours in by keeping your Green Can lid closed at all times (just as you would for your garbage).  Sprinkle your Green Can or kitchen container with baking soda to keep eliminate odours.
Tip #6
Paper bag		 Wrap food scraps in small amounts of newspaper, used paper towels or pizza delivery boxes before addind to your kitchen container or Green Can. Consider putting smelly materials in the freezer until collection day then you add them to your Green Can.
Tip #7
Green Can		 Store your Green Can in a shady area out of direct sunlight. Consider storing your Green Can and paper yard waste bags inside a shed or garage until collection day.

Tip #8
 Layer food scraps with drier materials such as yard trimmings in your Green Can.
Tip #9
Materials at Curbside for Collection		 Put your Green Can out for collection in the morning 
(before 7:30 a.m.) rather than the night before.
Tip #10 Call the Environmental Programs Information Line at
604-276-4010 if you have questions.

For more information on the City of Richmond's Green Can Food Scraps and Yard Trimmings Recycling program, see our Frequently Asked Questions, call 604-276-010 or email Garbage and Recycling.