What goes in the green cart

All food scraps, yard waste and pet waste can go in the green cart.

Make sure you also know what items can’t be composted. If you're not sure where to put an item, check What Goes Where.

NOTE: For the safety of your collector, the following items must be bagged: pet waste, kitty litter, animal bedding, sawdust and wood shavings, and cold barbeque or fireplaces ashes​.

Even small amounts add up, so remember to include the food from meal preparation, cleaning out the fridge and plate scrapings too. 

Remember to compost:

• Food scraps during meal prep
• Cleaning out the fridge
• Plate scrapings

• Plate scrapings
  
• Fruits and vegetables including pits - put stickers in garbage
  
• Meat, poultry and bones
  
• Fish, seafood, shellfish and shells
  
• Bread, grains, pasta, rice and cereal
  
• Pastries, cookies, cakes and muffins
  
• Eggs and eggshells
  
• Milk, cheese, sour cream and dairy products
  
• Condiments, sauces, gravy and jams
  
• Nuts, seeds, chips, popcorn and candy
  

Preparation
You can use certified compostable bags to hold all food scraps. All food must be separated from packaging.

What counts as food soiled? Paper products covered in food bits, sauces and/or grease should go in the green cart. 

• Used paper plates and bamboo plates
• Newspaper holding food scraps
• Greasy paper bags e.g. fast food bags, bakery bags
• Pizza boxes and pizza liners (greasy and food chunks)
• Paper food wrappers and parchment paper
• Certified compostable takeout containers and cups – paper and fibre only
• Coffee grounds, filters and tea bags
• Food soiled paper towels and napkins
• Used facial tissues (e.g. Kleenex)

TIP: Put clean paper in your blue cart. Your green cart is for food-soiled paper (saucy, greasy, food chunks etc.)

Solidify fats and grease by letting it cool at room temperature or in fridge. You can also soak up grease and fat with paper towel, sawdust or kitty litter (two litres maximum).

• All types of cooking oil (empty out of container)
• Cooking fat residue e.g. bacon fat
• Liquid and solidified grease 

Do not pour oils and fats down the drain. 

Preparation: All pet waste and bedding must be bagged in a certified compostable bag or paper bag and roll/tied closed for the safety of the collector.

• Dog waste
• Kitty litter (all kinds)
• Animal bedding (from pet cages)
• Pet fur, hair or feathers
• Pet food and treats (including rawhide bones and birdseed)

• Cold barbeque, fireplace or fire pit ashes
  • Must be bagged in a certified compostable bag or paper bag and roll/tied closed for the safety of the collector.
• Untreated lumber
  • Less than 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter and 1.25 m (4 feet) in length so it can fit inside the green cart.
  • No nails, screws, paint, etc.
• Wood shavings
  • Must be bagged in a certified compostable bag or paper bag and roll/tied closed for the safety of the collector.
• Wood popsicle sticks, chopsticks and toothpicks