Londoners who have been putting food scraps into their new green bins will see them emptied for the first time this week, as the city's long awaited green bin program officially gets underway.
Starting Monday, green bin waste will be collected at the same time as recyclables.
“I know many households have eagerly waited to start using the green bin,” said Mayor Josh Morgan. “By properly sorting our food scraps and other organic materials to go into the new green bin, the program will help divert valuable resources from our landfill, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help our community take climate action together.”
The launch of the green bin program also marks a change in the frequency of waste collection days in the city. Londoners will now see garbage picked up at the curb every other week, meaning they will have to hold onto trash for an extra four to six days each collection period. The collection day will remain on the same day each week between statutory holidays. Following each statutory holiday, the schedule will move forward one day, meaning collection day will change about 10 times a year instead of every week.
Green bins and recycling will be collected on a weekly basis going forward.
The addition of the green bin program is considered the most significant waste collection change in London in more than 25 years. Plans to launch it in London have been in the works for over a decade. The city ran a one-year pilot project in 2011, but repeatedly had trouble getting a permanent city-wide program off the ground. Final approval was granted by city council earlier in 2023. In late October, the city began the two-month process of delivering the roughly 120,000 green bins to homes in the city.
Each home was provided a large green bin that is placed outside for pickup and a smaller kitchen container. The kitchen container is designed to conveniently collect food scraps and prevent them from causing indoor odours before they can be deposited in the larger outdoor bin.
The green bin program gives Londoners a more eco-friendly way to rid themselves of organic waste such as fruit and vegetable skins, meat and chicken, and spoiled leftovers that in the past were sent to landfills. According to city officials, green bins combined with proper recycling can reduce greenhouse gases, turn waste into a new resource that feeds local farms and soil, and extend the life of landfills by keeping organic materials out. The introduction of the program in the city is part of London's Climate Emergency Action Plan and Strategic Plan.
Anyone who receives curbside garbage collection who has not yet received a green bin is advised to call the city at 519-661-2489 (CITY) or email service@london.ca.
