Westmount launches kitchen and garden waste collection

"It's sort of strange to be so excited about garbage, but I have to say that this is a really important moment for all of us here," Councillor John de Castell said during a press conference at City Hall on Tuesday for the official launch of the bin.

The City is improving its waste collection program by launching a dedicated kitchen and garden waste collection service for all single-family dwellings in Westmount.

"Kitchen and garden waste makes up as much as 40 per cent of the contents of a garbage bag, and it is our responsibility to ensure that it is properly composted, and not sent to a landfill," said Mayor Karin Marks, adding that "Westmounters are anxious to be among the leaders on the island by composting their organic waste in this new program."

As part of the program, residents will be required to separate their materials into three categories for weekly collection: kitchen and garden waste are to be placed in the new green bin; recycling materials will be placed as always in the blue box; and non-recyclables and non-compostable materials are to be placed in a garbage container.

According to the City, the kitchen and organic waste collection will allow it to significantly reduce the amount of garbage buried in landfill and will help meet the City's goal of 60 per cent waste diversion, as required by provincial regulations.

Organic material is the product of living things, such as fruit, vegetables, meat, leaves, plants or twigs. All organic material will break down (biodegrade) into compost under the right conditions. Compost is rich in minerals and nutrients, and is used as a fertilizer or soil amendment to improve the physical properties of the soil.

The process of composting transforms residues into a rich fertilizer, which can then be used for gardening and landscaping projects. Following collection from households in Westmount, the organic material will be taken to a compost facility where under the right conditions it will decompose into high-nutrient compost.

The process takes approximately three to six months. The finished product will then have a second life as fertilizer or soil amendment. The kitchen material can be in any form — fresh, frozen, dried, cooked or even spoiled. Its state will not affect the composting process.

The new collection is being implemented in phases across the City, with collection beginning in sector 8 on May 12. Sector 8, which includes 525 homes, is located between de Maisonneuve Boulevard and Côte St. Antoine Road, from Clarke to Lansdowne avenues. Other sectors will be added to the collection throughout 2008. The kitchen waste collected will be replacing one of two weekly garbage collections in each zone.

Public Works personnel will be delivering the wheeled bins to each home of sector 8 during the week of April 14. A comprehensive information package and a free supply of compostable liner bags will be delivered at the same time. Citizens are also becoming involved on a block-by-block basis to help residents share information on the new program.