Organics – such as food scraps and soiled paper – currently make up 28% of the waste we are unnecessarily sending to the landfill. Let’s make this zero!
Composting our household organics is vital for sustainability. By doing this, we can extend the life of the Hartland landfill beyond the year 2100 and create nutrient-rich compost for our local farmers. We’re proud to say that each year about 8,000 tonnes of organics are diverted from the landfill.
Did you know that we are also one of the only municipalities in the region to take yard trimmings in the green cart? We accept items such as leaves, grass clippings, prunings, plants, and branches.
What goes in my Organics Recycling Cart?
Here's what you can put in the green cart (JPG - 141 KB)
Backyard composting is still encouraged!
We encourage you to compost in your backyard. It is the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to dispose of food waste. However, our curbside organics collection program complements backyard composting by accepting a wider range of food waste that may not be suitable for backyard composting. For example, our green cart can take:
- Cooked food
- Meat
- Bones
- Fish
- Baked goods
- Food-soiled paper
How can I make a newspaper liner for my kitchen container?
Simple! Just fold a piece of newspaper into your kitchen container. Or, if you want to get fancy, we have created a handy reference for you: Organics Origami.png (613×800) (saanich.ca).
Eliminating the use of compostable bags will save you money and is much greener on the sustainability scale!
My yard waste won’t fit into my organics cart
You have a couple of options.
- Order a larger cart or an additional one.
- Bring large-volume loads to the Saanich Public Works Yard.