What goes in my green bin?
In Ontario, the Region of Waterloo has specific guidelines as to what can and can’t go in the green bin. Kitchener Clean can help get you set up with an office compost program - contact us today!
The following list pertains to residential green bin collection, but is relevant for office compost as well:
All food scraps including bones, peelings, shells, baking and cooking ingredients, spoiled and raw and cooked food (remove all packaging and stickers)
Small amounts of liquids (no more than one cup per green bin)
Some paper products, such as paper plates, paper towels, facial tissue, greasy take-out paper packaging, paper baking cups, shredded paper
Houseplants, cut flowers waste, natural greenery from wreaths (remove pots, wire, decorations)
Wooden toothpicks
For those outside the Waterloo Region, look up your city’s website and check for recycling and compost guidelines for your specific area.
It’s important to ask “what goes in my green bin?” before filling it up.
What doesn’t go in my green bin?
Certified compostable plastic bags can be used to line your green bin, but no other compostable plastic products (such as cutlery, cups, etc.) are allowed in the green bin. You are also not permitted to add any of the following:
Feel free to print this list and post in your office kitchen to remind employees of the guidelines.
Office composting programs help answer “What goes in my green bin?”
Workplaces don’t typically have access to a formal composting program. In the Kitchener area, for example, most food waste is put into general garbage and sent to the landfill. Kitchener Clean has developed, and now proudly offers, an Office Compost Program to businesses in the Waterloo Region.
In today’s economic climate, businesses need to not only be financially sustainable, but environmentally and socially sustainable as well. From its inception, Kitchener Clean has been an environmentally friendly office care company. While cleaning for our clients, we noticed a large volume of organic waste generated in offices and discarded into the garbage.
For example, one Kitchener Clean client with staff of only 20-25 generated over 600 pounds of organic waste in just one year! That’s a lot of waste that does not need to end up in a landfill. That is why this program has been initiated.
According to the David Suzuki Foundation, about 20% of Canada’s methane emissions - a potent greenhouse gas greatly contributing to global warming - come from landfills. By diverting food waste from landfills, businesses are saving money in regards to garbage pickup, and reducing their carbon footprint in the process. A win-win!
An Office Compost Program will save your business in regards to waste removal, and can be combined with a weekly Office Care and Cleaning service for even greater savings. Not only that, but employees will feel better about doing their part to help the environment and feel pride in knowing they work for a company that cares.
Your business can reduce its carbon footprint by adopting an office composting program.
How the office composting program works
After signing up for the Office Compost Program, you will receive a Green Bin to collect all your organic waste and compostable materials in accordance with the guidelines mentioned above. These compostable items will be picked on a weekly or twice weekly basis by one of our Team Members, and replaced by a fresh clean Green Bin.
The organic material collected enters the compost stream in one of four ways: donated to local neighbourhood garden compost piles, sent to the Region’s Compost facility, sent to Davidson Environmental, or used at Kitchener Clean’s Worm Farm, where it becomes worm castings (a high grade fertilizer).
To get started, simply contact Kitchener Clean today for a free quote.
Trust Kitchener Your Office Composting Inquiries!
Kitchener Clean is a locally owned and operated family business, so we treat our customers like we would treat our own family - with respect. We value integrity, consistency, and thoroughness with all of our clients.
Our reputation is important to us, so we guarantee all of our services. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, simply contact us and we will return within 24 hours to address your concern at no additional cost.
We even guarantee our response time. If we haven’t responded to any client communication within 24 hours of receiving it, we will offer you a free week of Office Care. That is how strongly we feel about the importance of communication and customer satisfaction. We will always stand behind our work. We guarantee it.