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Food Scraps & Yard Trimmings Recycling

Green Cart Pilot Program

Start reducing your garbage today. Recycle food scraps and yard trimmings. Green Cart

The new Green Cart Pilot Program is providing residents in a select number of townhomes with the opportunity to recycle food scraps and yard trimmings. This program supports Richmond's goal to reduce garbage by 70% by 2015 and 80% by 2020. The pilot program runs from April to December 2011.

The pilot program is easy, convenient and offers another way to divert waste from landfills. There is no charge for participating in the pilot program. If the program is offered on a permanent basis in future, or expanded to all townhomes, charges could apply at that time.

To learn how to recycle your food waste, what to include, how to keep your Green Cart clean and odour free, etc. see the following section:

Four Steps to Recycling Food Scraps and Yard Trimmings

Step 1 Step 1
Collect food scraps in your kitchen food scraps container. An ice cream pail or any larger reusable container will work
GC Step 2 Step 2
Empy your kitchen food scraps container into your Green Cart.
paper yard waste bags Step 3
Place yard trimmings into your Green Cart along with your food scraps. Extra yard trimmings can be placed in paper yard waste bags (available at local retail stores) or tied in bundles no larger than 3 ft x 2 ft and limbs less than 4 inch in diameter. Plastic bags will NOT be accepted.
GC step 4 Step 4
Place your Green Cart along with unlimited paper yard waste bags in the same location as your Blue Box or garbage for door-to-door collection service on your normal collection day. All materials must be out by 7:30 a.m. to ensure service.

What to Recycle in Your Green Cart
Yes! Add these items:
    
Green Cart		  Fruit & vegetables (e.g. potatoes, corn cobs & husks)         eggshells  Eggs & dairy products (e.g. cheese)
Rice  Bread, pasta, rice & noodles (e.g. flour or grain products) Pizza Box  Paper towels, napkins and paper plates, food soiled paper or boxes (e.g. pizza delivery)
Filters & Tea  Coffee grounds, filters and tea bags Leaves  Yard trimmings (e.g. leaves, grass clippings, flowers & plants)
hamburger  Table scraps and food scrapings chicken bones  Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and bones
  No Plastic Please do not include plastic - they create waste and contaminate the compost.


Do not include the following items in your Green Cart. You may place these items in your regular garbage or recycling instead.
 Coffee cups
 Cork or Styrofoam cups, meat trays, plates or take-out containers
 Diapers, baby wipes
 Dirt, rocks or sod
 Garden hoses
 Glass, metal and plastic or foil (e.g. foil wrap, pie plates)
 Grease or liquids
 Make-up remover pads, cotton swabs & balls
 Paper cartons or take-out containers
 Pet feces or kitty litter
 Plastic bags and biodegradable plastics
 Plastic wrap
 Prunings thicker than 4 inch in diameter
 Scrap lumber or sawdust
 Vacuum contents and bags


Online Discussion Forum - talkrecycling.richmond.ca
The City of Richmond has developed a new online discussion forum - talkrecycling.richmond.ca - exclusively for your use during this pilot project. This new tool to make it easy and convenient to ask questions, share experiences and find information and tips about using Green Carts.

To register as a user, select talkrecycling.richmond.ca. Information on how to use the forum is posted under Promotional and Eduational Resources section.

Green Cart Maintenance Tips
Recycling with the Green Cart is easy and convenient. See Top 10 Green Cart Maintenance Tips for ways to keep your Green Cart clean and odour free. 

Yard Trimmings Drop-Off Program
Richmond resident can drop-off up to 1 cubic of trimmings at the City's Recycling Depot or unlimited amounts at Ecowaste Landfill. For program information and restrictions, see Yard & Garden Trimmings Drop-Off.

Promotional and Educational Resources

For more information on the Green Cart Pilot Program call Linh Huynh at
604-233-3346 or email Garbage and Recycling.