* * Make your own liner bags in 8 easy folds! Click here for easy to follow instructions. * * About the Program When is the Green Bin coming to my neighbourhood? What goes in and stays out of the Green Bin Make your own liner bags in only 8 easy folds! Pet waste and dusty material Lining your Green Bin - if you do, use paper not plastic! What happens with your Green Bin organics Helpful tips and Resources Lining your containers

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The Region of Waterloo's Waste Management Division is implementing an organics collection program.
This program is similar to the Blue Box program, except it collects household organic materials such
as food scraps and paper towels in green bins. The Green Bin program helps save valuable space in our
local landfill and turns "waste" into useful compost.

This program will be implemented in phases. Here's the current Regional "Green Binning" plan:

Roll out Strategy:

October 2006 - Test pilots Five city neighbourhoods totalling 5,000 homes tested bins and bags as part of the Green Bin program.
October 2007 - More pilots! 5,000 additional homes added.
October 2008 - Added 40,000 homes.
October 2009 - Added 40,000 more homes
October 2010 - Proposed to add 50,000 more homes - all single family homes in the Region will have access to the program and more pilots! Proposed to add 5,000 apartment units and ten commercial and industrial properties.
2011/ 2012 - Proposed to add 40,000 apartment units and 100 commercial/industrial properties.
2012/2013 - Possible ban of organics from landfill in late 2012.




The Green Bin program is being phased in over several years. Only certain neighbourhoods
on certain garbage collection days are participating. Below are details on who is participating when:

Participating Now:

Cambridge - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Kitchener - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
Waterloo - Wednesday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday

Proposed 2010:

Cambridge - Tuesday
Kitchener - Wednesday
Waterloo - Monday
All townships - North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich - all collection days


If you are in a neighbourhood that is participating now, and you need more information or containers
- please email us at customer-service@region.waterloo.on.ca

Acceptable Items - Updated May 2010
***	Baked goods - e.g. bread, cakes, cookies, dough, pies Butcher paper Butter & margarine Candy Cat litter Cereal Charcoal Coffee cups (PAPER, no lids) Coffee filters, grounds Corn cobs, husks Cotton balls Dairy products - e.g. cheese, sour cream, yogurt Eggs, eggshells Facial tissues Feathers Fish, fish parts Flour bags Fruit Fur Grains & rice Gravy & sauces Grease, lards, fats Hair Herbs & spices House plant waste Jams & jellies Mayonnaise Meat, meat products, bones Muffin/baking cups (paper) Nail clippings	Nuts & shells Paper bags Paper fast food packaging Paper napkins Paper plates Parchment paper Pasta Peanut butter Pencil shavings Pet waste (including bedding, droppings, kitty litter)- must be bagged or wrapped in paper Pizza Pizza boxes Play dough (homemade) Popsicle sticks Popcorn Popcorn bags (microwave) Salad & dressings Sawdust Shellfish Shredded paper Snack foods Sugar & sweetener packets Sugar & syrups Sugar bags Tea bags (except Lipton pyramid tea bags) Tissues Toothpicks (wood) Vegetables - including waxed vegetables such as rutabaga Wood ashes (cold) Wood chips

Not Acceptable- Updated July 2009
Band-Aids Batteries, paint & other hazardous waste Biodegradable plastic bags Candles Chewing gum Cigarette butts & ashes Cleaning sponges Corks	Cutlery (metal, plastic) Dental floss/tape, toothbrushes Diapers Dryer lint Dryer sheets Lipton Pyramid Tea (plastic mesh tea bag) Metal - anything in part or as a whole is made of metal of any kind)	Paper towels containing hazardous/cleaning products Plastic - plastic bags, biodegradable plastic bags, plastic containers, plastic wrap, etc. Sanitary products - (personal) Textiles Vacuum sweepings/ household dirt	Water softener salt Wax Waxed paper Wood, treated wood Recyclables - place in blue box Yard Waste - compost in back yard, set out during seasonal pick up, bring to transfer station

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Pet waste and dusty material (such as cold wood ashes) are acceptable in the Green Bin. However, for the health and safety
of your collection driver, please make sure this material is:

• layered in your Green Bin - e.g. between food waste and shredded paper or
• bagged in a paper bag or
• wrapped in newsprint or placed in any other type of paper packaging

Using liner bags is not mandatory. The following is information on liner bags – including the benefits of using liner bags, how to use liner bags, several alternatives to liner bags, and where to purchase liner bags - to help make it easy being green! Benefits of using kraft paper liner bags are leak resistant reduce odour and the presence of insects help maintain a clean bin facilitate collection by making it easy to empty Using kraft paper liner bags Open the bag and place securely – fitting the bag snugly as much as possible to the bottom of the container. Some liner bags may be taller than the container – so you may have to fold or roll down the top of the bag. Consider only lining one container at a time – either your Green Bin or Kitchen Container. This will stretch out your supply of bags. Consider placing small liner bags in other rooms of your home to collect organics – e.g., in the bathroom to collect tissues and hair.

* Alternatives to kraft paper liner bags There are several alternatives to paper liner bags which can help save you money: * (a) Maintain your Green Bin and Kitchen Container with regular washing. Try to add organics that absorb liquids – like shredded paper and facial tissues – instead of liner bags. * * (b) Use other types of paper bags – e.g., flour or sugar bags, paper shopping bags. Check to see if stores you shop at have a paper bag option available. These other types of paper bags may not be as strong as the liner bags but will still help absorb liquids. * (c) Make your own liner bag in 8 easy steps! Turn yesterday's news into today's liner for your Kitchen Container. This easy and economical alternative is brought to you by the City of Barrie. * (d) Wrap your organics up in newspaper or line your Green Bin with a layer of newspaper. * Retailers: Paper Only! No plastic of any kind. Need more information on acceptable liner bags? Call 519-883-5100 or email customer-service@region.waterloo.on.ca Purchasing kraft paper liner bags Click here for a list of stores in your area which are selling kraft paper liner bags for your Green Bin. Some paper bags have a cellulose lining to give them more wet strength. This type of bag is acceptable in our program. Order On-line!: Your Green Bin came supplied with a bundle of kraft paper bags which we purchased from Bag to Earth, a Canadian company committed to the environment. You can learn more about Bag to Earth and order kraft paper bags on-line. * Reminder! Do not purchase any liner bags made out of plastic, compostable plastic, or biodegradable plastic. These are not acceptable in the Green Bin Program for several reasons: Different ‘biodegradable’ bags compost at different rates. This can create issues with the quality of the end product. Organics need oxygen to compost properly. Wrapping in plastic prevents the microbes from getting much needed oxygen and contributes to odour issues. * Please do not place any type of plastic in your Green Bin. * *

Write your address on your Green Bin in permanent marker. This will help prevent your green Bin getting mixed up with your neighbour's. Place your Green Bin at the curb beside your garbage. This will make collection faster now that the same truck picks up both garbage and Green Bin organics. Set out only your large Green Bin to the curb for collection. Please do not set out your kitchen container or just paper liner bags. The driver can only empty out Green Bins safely and efficiently. Please do not add any plastic to your green Bin, including "biodegradable", "compostable" plastic bags. The materials collected from this program are going to a facility that composts the organics outside and cannot handle plastics. Wrap up pet waste. Pet waste is acceptable in the Green Bin. However, for the health and safety of your collection driver, please make sure that pet waste is wrapped up well in newspaper or paper towelling or put in a paper bag. * Capture organics in other rooms of your home. Set a paper liner bag in your bathroom to collect tissues and hair. Store your Green Bin in a convenient, safe location. Your Green Bin should be placed in a well-ventilated spot that, ideally, is not accessible to animals. Place your Green Bin to the curb every week - even if it is not full. This will ensure you have enough space in your bin and reduce odours. Handle your Green Bin gently. This will help it to last longer. If it does get damaged, please contact the Region for a replacement. Backyard composting is still a part of 'green' households. If you are composting in your backyard, keep up the good work! Backyard composting is still the best and least expensive way of getting rid of fruit and vegetable scraps. Use the Green Bin for items such as meat, bones and dairy products which should not be composted in your backyard. If you need a composter, pick one up free of charge! Click here for locations and hours of operation. * Click here for a PDF version of the Green Bin brochure ** * We will be sending you updates on the program and asking for your feedback. February 2007 Newsletter June 2007 Newsletter February 2008 Newsletter Summer 2009 Newsletter Winter 2010 Newsletter August 2010 Mini Newsletter

Place your Green Bin to the curb every week - even if it is not full. Store your Green Bin in a shaded area. Warmer weather can increase odour problems. Use paper to line your bin. Line your Green Bin or alternate layers of food waste and paper. Use newsprint, box board or other types of paper packaging or buy liner bags (see below for a list of local retailers). Lining and layering with paper helps absorb liquids and limits odours. Freeze meat, fish scraps until your collection day. This will limit odour problems and reduce the risk of insects in your Green Bin. Rinse your Kitchen container daily and your Green Bin weekly. Regular cleaning with a mild biodegradable detergent and warm water is especially important during warmer months. Reduce the smell. Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda, garden lime, biodegradable laundry detergent (without bleach), or vinegar in your Kitchen container and Green Bin as a deodorizer. Do not use pesticides in your Green Bin. If you do find insects in your Green Bin, do NOT use pesticide to get rid of them. Please use the tips listed below and insect problems should be minimal. Flies are naturally attracted to organic waste. If flies have access to organics, maggots could appear in a few days. (See below for details.) Here are some simple things you can do to prevent flies being attracted to your Green Bin: Do not leave food waste in the open. Empty your Kitchen Container into your Green Bin on a regular basis. Close the lids on your Green Bin and Kitchen Container. Clean your Green Bins and Kitchen Container after emptying. Layer or cover food waste with shredded paper, used paper towels or facial tissues, or wrap food waste in old newspaper. Use white vinegar as an effective, environmentally-friendly disinfectant. Do not store the bin in direct sunlight. The Life Cycle of the Fly The life cycle of the common house fly has four stages, egg, larva (maggot), pupa and adult fly. Adult female flies will lay their eggs on any organic material that will provide suitable food for the maggots when they emerge. A female fly can lay up to 500 eggs in several batches of 75 to 150 eggs, over a three to four day period. The house fly can complete its life cycle in as little as 7-10 days. Flies typically live for 22-25 days.