page_title: Green bin
section_title: Canada
hierarchical_section_title: Green bin / Green bins by country / Canada
caption_attribution_description: A Green Bin in Toronto, used for the municipal collection of compostable organics, that I took myself with my camera.
context_page_description: A green bin is a large, movable, rigid plastic or metal container that contains biodegradable waste or compostable materials as a means to divert waste from landfills. In some local authorities, green bins are also used to contain unsorted municipal solid waste. The bins are designed and manufactured by Norseman Environmental, a manufacturer of recycling and organic waste containers in North America.
  The program's purpose is to reduce the amount of waste shipped to landfills by recycling biodegradable waste into compost. The programs collect kitchen and related organic waste using a waist-high green curbside container, for which the programs are named. The municipality picks up the waste on a regular basis along with other garbage and recycling collections, and composts it at an industrial composting facility. While it is true that home composting can also serve this purpose, the green bin programs are viewed as being more convenient and more inclusive of source materials.
context_section_description: The following municipalities have implemented a Green Bin program:
  The Halifax Regional Municipality has had Green Bin collection in urban areas since 1998.
  Toronto, Ontario began its program in the Etobicoke area in 2002, and expanded it in subsequent years until the entire city was covered in 2005.
  Durham Region, Ontario's Green Bin program initially began with Scugog, Uxbridge, Brock and Clarington, but has since been expanded to all municipalities in the Region since 2006.
  Peel Region, Ontario's Green Bin program began on April 2, 2007.
  York Region, Ontario has implemented a Green Bin program throughout the region as of September 17, 2007. The city of Markham, the first York Region municipality to implement the program, began its Green Bin collection program as part of its "Mission Green" in the fall of 2004 with implementation to 12,500 single-family residences. "Mission Green" is Markham's plan to divert 70% of its waste from landfill. In July 2005, the program was expanded citywide.
  Hamilton, Ontario had originally implemented its "Green Bin" program to houses in 2006 and is the first city to recently spread the project to apartment buildings and complexes to reduce waste by 35% to ease the garbage in Hamilton's only operational landfill.
  Dufferin County's Green Bin program has been in full operation since 2007.
  Ottawa, Ontario has a Green Bin program in operation since January 2010, with service to apartments and multi-residential units to follow.
  Richmond, British Columbia's Green Cart program has been around since 2009 and accepts all food scraps and yard trimmings.
  Guelph, Ontario has had a "Green" compost program for several years
  Sudbury, Ontario introduced "Green Cart" program in 2009.
caption: A Green Bin in Toronto, Ontario.
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