Green cart for compost goes live (was trial)

[BigDL]

Originally posted by Aleks


So with the green bin if you're not allowed plastic bags or food containers how do you dump the food scraps in there? paper bags? just dump the garbage bag out from your house into it?

There is a container that comes with the green bin that you can store under your sink. I believe it was CBC article talking about the green bins mentioned it.

[schocker]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak
I almost always mulch and I have some of the greenest and lushest grass on the block

Only exception is if the lawn gets too lawn and I start getting clumps... so maybe once or twice a year I bag

I will have to give it a try. Currently I have been doing 10-14 day cuts, so I will switch to weekly and then do a smaller cut. Just need to make sure my blade is still sharp.

[bigboom]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSplat


Does council seriously think that compostable waste makes up 50% of our garbage? We don't absolutely need weekly garbage pickups, but it's really nice for those weeks where you end up with a bunch of unrecyclable packing materials to throw out.

Of course there's no opt-out for folks like us who have been doing our own composting for ages and have literally zero use for the green bins.

I won't lie there's been a few times (usually around the holidays) where I end up with a bunch of Styrofoam packing lying around in the garage waiting for the next pick up but that's a rare occurrence.

I had the same reaction as most of you here when I found out my area was a Calgary test area but after a couple months we adapted. One tip is to clear our your in house compost bin daily or it will smell.

[tirebob]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSplat


Does council seriously think that compostable waste makes up 50% of our garbage? We don't absolutely need weekly garbage pickups, but it's really nice for those weeks where you end up with a bunch of unrecyclable packing materials to throw out.

Of course there's no opt-out for folks like us who have been doing our own composting for ages and have literally zero use for the green bins.

It isn't 50% of the volume of your garbage. It is 50% of the weight, which makes a huge difference in tipping fees, and I can say this is true (on average). I have seen the actual scale numbers for our city (Airdrie). It does count on people recycling everything that is organics compostable.

[kenny]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSplat
Of course there's no opt-out for folks like us who have been doing our own composting for ages and have literally zero use for the green bins.

Even if you're already composting at home, the city green bins accept more stuff that you wouldn't put into your own compost so you'll still be able to take advantage.

I moved out of Cougar Ridge (one of the pilot communities) and while I wasn't enthusiastic about the green bin program it works out well with the reduced black bin pick up. Most of our stuff went into either the blue or green bins. My biggest issue was lack of space to store 3 bins. I ended up putting the green bin on my deck and just dumped the mini compost bin into the larger green bin every night.

[tirebob]

Originally posted by kenny


Even if you're already composting at home, the city green bins accept more stuff that you wouldn't put into your own compost so you'll still be able to take advantage.

I moved out of Cougar Ridge (one of the pilot communities) and while I wasn't enthusiastic about the green bin program it works out well with the reduced black bin pick up. Most of our stuff went into either the blue or green bins. My biggest issue was lack of space to store 3 bins. I ended up putting the green bin on my deck and just dumped the mini compost bin into the larger green bin every night.

Absolutely right! What can go in organics is not simply kitchen scraps...


Copied from Airdies website for information...

What can go in the green cart? Likely a lot more than you think!

fruits and vegetables
meat, fish, shellfish and bones
egg shells and dairy products
bread, pasta, rice, beans and grains
coffee filters, coffee grounds and tea bags
fast food packaging such as hamburger wrappers, french fry boxes, bags etc.
sauces, salad dressings, cooking oils and jams
grass clippings, leaves and plants
branches and prunings
soiled paper plates, napkins and paper towels
soiled pizza boxes
wax coated paper products
disposable paper coffee cups (no plastic lids)
tooth picks, Popsicle sticks, chopsticks
paper microwave popcorn bags (some brands have plastic built into the bag. Be sure the whole bag is paper before putting it in your green cart)
pet hair and human hair
Kleenex - if it does not contain any human waste
dryer lint
butcher paper
parchment paper
paper flour and sugar bags
paper dog food bags

What can NOT go in the green cart?

plastic bags (garbage bags, grocery store plastic bags)
foam cups, containers and packaging
plastic containers
pet waste/litter
diapers/ baby wipes
Kleenex, paper towel or toilet paper with human waste of any kind (as it is a bio hazard)
weeds (to prevent the spread of noxious weeds)
q-tips (contain bodily waste (ear wax) and have a plastic coating)

[msommers]

An interesting trend of people liking it from experience vs. hating it from inexperience.

I really do love this place

[Sugarphreak]

...

[bigboom]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak


Oh good, the only thing I might actually put in a green cart is apparently not allowed

We aren't Airdrie.

http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/WRS/Pages/...reen-Cart.aspx

[suntan]

Yeah weeds better be allowed. Proper composting kills the seeds.

[suntan]

Originally posted by Neil4Speed


Based on?....

He isn't Dave Bronconnier

Based on Seth1968, duh.

So you're saying none of Nenshi's friends benefit from his tenure in office?

Go look up Bunk at CP. Donated to his campaign, got a job at the city a few months later.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by FraserB


You can get some pretty big contractor grade garbage bags. Not my problem if the garbage man isn't strong enough to lift 60lbs of stuff that has been triple bagged.

It actually is, they won't pick it up if its too heavy, it's a liability issue for the company doing garbage collection.

Also, maybe I don't quite get it, but don't compost-able materials, ya know, decompose when in a garbage dump?

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by kenny


Even if you're already composting at home, the city green bins accept more stuff that you wouldn't put into your own compost so you'll still be able to take advantage.

I moved out of Cougar Ridge (one of the pilot communities) and while I wasn't enthusiastic about the green bin program it works out well with the reduced black bin pick up. Most of our stuff went into either the blue or green bins. My biggest issue was lack of space to store 3 bins. I ended up putting the green bin on my deck and just dumped the mini compost bin into the larger green bin every night.

Yeah, I've already been over the list of what you can put in the green bin. I'm sure it'll be useful for some folks, but it's a total waste of space and money for us. ~95% of what little food waste we produce is composted or garborated. Lawn is mulched, not bagged and our yard waste is near-zero apart from a few twigs from pruning once or twice per year.

Seriously, they're going to send a truck to empty our green bin with a couple of cat turds rolling around the bottom of it. It's not a terrible program, in theory, but for those of us who already go to great lengths to reduce their compostable garbage output it feels like a pretty unnecessary tax.

It isn't 50% of the volume of your garbage. It is 50% of the weight, which makes a huge difference in tipping fees, and I can say this is true (on average). I have seen the actual scale numbers for our city (Airdrie). It does count on people recycling everything that is organics compostable.

I would be fucking shocked if anywhere near 50% of disposal mass ever gets put in the green bins, but I suppose we'll find out. Reducing black-bin pickup is just going to have people tossing their regular garbage in the green bin anyway.

Originally posted by HiTempguy1

Also, maybe I don't quite get it, but don't compost-able materials, ya know, decompose when in a garbage dump?

Very poorly, it's pretty much anaerobic in most dumps and composting requires oxygen to work.

[suntan]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1
Also, maybe I don't quite get it, but don't compost-able materials, ya know, decompose when in a garbage dump?

Not really. No oxygen. Methane is produced deep within as a result.

[chkolny541]

Originally posted by suntan
Not really. No oxygen. Methane is produced deep within as a result.

Beat me to it. When I worked in waste and recycling a few years back the garbage from black bins gets tossed into the landfill and packed down tight not allowing much oxygen. However when we would go to drop off compostables (from the leave/pumpkin pickups) that waste would be lined up in rows and "fluffed" up rather then packed down.

[g-m]

Fucking hate the green bins. No chance I'm composting, it smells like shit and I'm not doing the extra step. So weeds and grass go in it. And then into the black bin when the green one is full. Really wish I could opt out and just have weekly garbage pickup. I hated it when it started 3 years ago and I still hate it

[Xtrema]

I don't think I'll use green bin much other than lawn clippings.

Majority of what green bin will take already goes down the drain after garburator.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[tirebob]

Originally posted by BerserkerCatSplat


Seriously, they're going to send a truck to empty our green bin with a couple of cat turds rolling around the bottom of it. It's not a terrible program, in theory, but for those of us who already go to great lengths to reduce their compostable garbage output it feels like a pretty unnecessary tax.



I would be fucking shocked if anywhere near 50% of disposal mass ever gets put in the green bins, but I suppose we'll find out. Reducing black-bin pickup is just going to have people tossing their regular garbage in the green bin anyway.

Don't get me wrong... It would require someone be very diligent to extract a full 50% of their garbage weight out for organics, but the fact is if you break it down, that is the average.

Costs, with tipping fees being what they are for general garbage, and the cost for contractors to recycle organics, there is a net savings in fees. Again, how your costs are distributed to residents in Calgary may be different than in Airdrie where we are, but for us it results in a net saving to the tax base, and that is only improving even more as time goes on with the continued rise in regular tipping fees. We do not pay for disposal in our taxes and it is actually a charge on our utilities based on previous years cost. It is not subsidized by taxes etc...

[Xtrema]

BTW, do we get free compost as part of this program?