London's had green bins for 1 year and people making meals for the homeless say they want in
Sixty per cent of organic waste is being diverted from landfills in London
One year into London launching the green bin program that new data shows is being well used by homeowners, groups running meal programs for the needy say they've got a lot of organic waste that shouldn't be going ot the landfill.
The non-profit hosting lunch out of St. John the Evangelist Church and Saint Paul's Cathedral serves approximately 400 people weekly, according to organizers, and a lot of compost is created.
"The City of London will not give us green bins because we are considered a business," Heather McNamara said. Her group estimates they toss six garbage bags of compostable waste after every meal, three times a week.
Residential homes first received a green bin in January 2024, and with the exception of two apartment buildings being piloted for future distribution, homeowners remain the only Londoners currently able to participate in the program.
On Monday, a city committee will review feedback on the first year of the green bin program which shows participation rates are slightly above the provincial average. The overall curbside residential diversion of organic waste increased from 51 per cent in 2023 to 60 percent in 2024 in London.
The city is aware more people, including non-profits, want to participate in the program but the cost of collecting more green bins, and processing the material is a factor, Director of Environment, Fleet & Solid Waste Jay Stanford said.
Watch | Take a tour of the compost depot
Changes that are being considered, Stanford said, include getting more multi-unit buildings into the program, and allowing Londoners to use the bins to dispose of pet waste.
Still, non-profits are not off the table, with Stanford suggesting the city could look at including them in six months time.
'Chomping' for green bins
London is facing a well documented homelessness and affordability crisis, with foodbanks and charities at capacity.
Some received donations directly from farmers and food rescue groups, and non-profit groups say that sometimes when it arrives, not everything is fresh enough to be served. That only contributes to waste headed to the landfill.
The Sisters of St. Joseph, which hosts six community means every week at its Queens Avenue cafe and other locations, said they would "chomp at the bit" to be part of the green bin program.
"The sisters have been very interested in taking care of the earth for many years," administrator Michelle Vermeeren said. "So we actually pay a third-party to come and take away our composting."
But Vermeeren said that the company won't pick up the organic waste from the Queens Avenue location, so staff try to reduce waste in other ways, often freezing food or using it in soups.
"We're very conscious of trying to reuse, you know, make sure that we, first, don't have leftovers, and then…using our leftovers."
McNamara noted that some of their volunteers try to reduce the amount of waste heading to the landfill by taking things like eggshells to use in their gardens, or vegetable scraps to feed chickens.