The food scraps recycling pilot will help us understand the best way to introduce an expanded food scraps recycling program for all Vancouver homes in the future.

Starting September 22 in Sunset and September 28 in Riley Park, select households will be able to add all their food scraps to their yard trimmings cart instead of their regular garbage cart . This includes everything from fruits, vegetables and eggshells, to meat, dairy products and coffee grounds. Yard trimmings carts for pilot households will be emptied once a week, while regular garbage carts will eventually be collected every-other-week.

We are testing a variety of education and communication tools to assist pilot participants in making appropriate behaviour changes and drive participation. We will measure participation, contamination and diversion rates and will be assessing what labour and equipment is required for the new program so that we can be prepared for citywide rollout.

Yes. Starting September 22 in Sunset and September 28 in Riley Park, yard trimmings carts will be picked-up weekly for pilot households. Garbage will be collected every-other-week starting October 6 in Sunset and October 13 in Riley Park.

• View Sunset pilot collection calendar (multilingual) (516 kb)
• View Riley Park pilot collection calendar (multilingual) (568 kb)

About 2,000 households in Riley Park and Sunset have been selected to participate in the pilot. Find out if you are in the pilot

If you don’t live in Riley Park or Sunset, continue putting some of your uncooked food scraps into your yard trimmings cart. Find out more

The pilot is limited to approximately 2,000 selected households in Riley Park and Sunset. View a list of private companies providing food waste collection services to buildings.

The pilot is limited to approximately 2,000 selected households in Riley Park and Sunset. View a list of private companies providing food waste collection services to buildings.

The pilot program will begin in September 2011 and continue for at least six months.

Putting food scraps in your yard trimmings cart instead of the garbage reduces waste going to the landfill and the greenhouse gases it produces. Your food scraps will be recycled into valuable compost and soil for use in the region.

Recycling your food scraps takes three easy steps:

1)   Find a small container with a lid: Keep this container in your kitchen and make sure you can easily carry or wash it.

2)   Sort your scraps: Line your container with newspaper and add your food scraps as you collect them.

3)   Empty your container into your yard trimmings cart: When your kitchen container is full, empty your food scraps into your yard trimmings cart.

You can use a large yogurt container, ice cream bucket, jug or any other washable container. Make sure it’s something you can carry to your yard trimmings cart and can wash frequently.

Follow these simple steps to prevent odours and pests in your kitchen container:

• Sprinkle it with baking soda
• Line container with newspaper or a paper bag (DO NOT use plastic)
• Wrap food scraps in newspaper or place in a paper bag
• Empty it out and wash it regularly
• Keep the lid on when not in use
• Learn more

No, plastics aren’t accepted even those labeled as biodegradable or compostable, because they contaminate the composting process and result in lower quality compost.

If your cart becomes too full, put out what you can and save your leftover trimmings and food scraps for the next collection day. If your cart is too full on a regular basis, consider getting a larger one.

To keep your yard trimmings cart free of odour and pests:

• Line the bottom with newspaper
• Layer food scraps under yard trimmings
• Sprinkle with baking soda or powdered garden lime
• Store cart in the shade
• Put your cart out every week for collection, even if you don’t have many scraps
• Wash your cart regularly
• Keep the cart lid closed at all times

You don’t need to have a full yard trimmings cart for it to be collected. Make sure to put out your cart weekly, even if you have just a few food scraps.

Keep using it! This is still the best way to compost since it reduces collection costs and saves energy.

There might be a few reasons your yard trimmings cart wasn’t emptied:

• Your cart contained plastics or other unaccepted items
• You put your cart out on the wrong day
• Your cart is too heavy
• Your cart was not put at the curb by 7 am
• The lid on your cart was not shut

If your cart wasn’t collected, call 3-1-1 after 3 pm and report a missed collection. We’ll help you avoid another one.

No. There will be no increase on your 2011 property tax bill to cover the cost of the food scraps pilot program.