Today, London’s first Green Bins began to be delivered to households. This marks an important milestone in the launch of London’s new Green Bin program.
“The Green Bin will be transformational to our waste collection programs,” says Mayor Josh Morgan. “It will be a new way for families and households to take climate action together. The program will reduce our community’s greenhouse gas emissions and keep food waste and other organic materials from going in the landfill.”
Approximately 120,000 Green Bins will be delivered between now and mid-December to homes that currently place their garbage and recycling at the curb. Once deliveries are complete, curbside collection for the Green Bin will begin the week of January 15, 2024.
“We’re thrilled that homes are beginning to receive their Green Bin,” says Jay Stanford, Director, Climate Change, Environment, and Waste Management. “Over the coming months, the City will be engaging Londoners about how and when to begin using the Green Bin, and what materials go where at the curb. There is much work still to be done and we appreciate Londoners’ patience as Green Bins are distributed.”
Delivering Green Bins to homes
Residents who currently place their garbage and recycling at the curb will receive a Green Bin in the coming weeks. Green Bins will be placed at the end of homes’ driveways for residents to collect and store until Green Bin materials begin to be collected. Delivery is beginning in collection Zone A (West London including Byron and Oakridge) and will continue across London until mid-December.
Londoners will need to hold onto their Green Bin after it is delivered, and only begin placing it to the curb once the program begins in January.
Residents are encouraged to open their Green Bin when it is delivered and review the information inside. Inside will be a copy of the new 2024 Waste Collection and Conservation Guide, a calendar of 2024 collection dates, as well as a Kitchen Container for their home. The new Guide will contain information on what materials go inside the Green Bin, what materials must not be placed in the Green Bin, and how and when it should be placed at the curb.
The Kitchen Container is designed to collect organic waste from your kitchen before it goes in the Green Bin. When collection of Green Bin materials begins, the Kitchen Container provides a quick and convenient way for you to collect food scraps, catch them from accidently going into the garbage, and keep them from causing odours indoors. It could be stored on or under your kitchen counter. When the container is full, contents can then be moved to your Green Bin.
About the Green Bin
A Green Bin is like a blue recycling bin, but for food waste such as fruit and vegetable skins, meat, dairy, spoiled leftovers, and other inedible food waste. When the program begins in January, the Green Bin will be collected from London homes at the curbside much like your Blue Box is.
Implementing the Green Bin program supports London’s Climate Emergency Action Plan and the City’s Strategic Plan. Approximately 45% of what’s put in the garbage in London is commonly collected organic materials. The Green Bin program is expected to divert an additional 10% of London’s waste away from the landfill. Reducing food waste at home before it has to go in the Green Bin is also an important part of the solution to reduce waste. Actions at home like meal planning, using up leftovers, and checking what food is in your home before buying more can all help. On average, each household in London wastes more than $1,000 of food each year.
As part of the Green Bin program, there will be important changes to collection frequency and how some materials are collected beginning the week of January 15, 2024. The City will continue to engage residents this fall and winter about how the Green Bin is used, and will continue to collect feedback as the program is used next year.
As a reminder for residents, a short-term collection calendar for the period of October 2023 to January 2024 is available online or a printed version can be picked up at Community Centres, London Public Libraries, EnviroDepots, and City Hall. A calendar of 2024 collection dates is included inside the Green Bin when it is delivered.
To learn more about the Green Bin program, please visit london.ca/GreenBin
Above: A Green Bin and Kitchen Container is being delivered to homes that currently have their garbage and recycling collected at the curb. Deliveries will continue until mid-December.
Above: The Kitchen Container is used to collect food waste from your kitchen, and can be emptied into your Green Bin when the program begins. A Kitchen Container will be provided to residents when the Green Bins are delivered to homes.
Above: When Green Bin collection begins, food scraps collected in a Kitchen Container can be placed in the Green Bin for pick up at the curb.