After the storm: Here's how to get rid of that spoiled food

As the cleanup continues from Friday's destructive storm, residents are being given extra options for getting rid of waste.

Public health officials say perishables in your refrigerator should be thrown out within eight hours of a power outage, while food in the freezer will remain safe for up to 48 hours as long as the door remains closed.

Health officials recommend throwing out partially thawed food.

Here are some of the extra steps being taken.

In Ottawa:

The city has set up 15 dedicated bins for food waste:

• On Basin Court.
• At 950 Clyde Ave.
• At the Conroy Works Yard at 3100 Conroy Rd.
• At the Hunt Club Community Centre at 3320 Paul Anka Dr.
• At the Johnny Leroux Arena at 10 Warner Colpitts Ln.
• At the Kanata Recreation Centre at 100 Charlie Rogers Pl.
• At the Manotick Arena at 5572 Doctor Leach Dr.
• At the Minto Sports Complex at 3500 Cambrian Rd.
• At the Nepean Sportsplex at 1701 Woodroffe Ave.
• At the North Gower Town Hall at 2155 Roger Stevens Dr.
• At the Pinecrest Recreation Centre at 2250 Tourquay Ave.
• At the Richcraft Arena at 4101 Innovation Dr.
• At the Richmond Arena at 6095 Perth St.
• At the Tom Brown Arena at 141 Bayview Ave.
• At the Walter Baker Sports Centre at 100 Malvern Dr.

The city is asking people not to put anything other than food waste in the bins. The bins will be available until midnight Tuesday.

Residents should not throw out damaged appliances or construction waste Monday, and shouldn't move or attempt to dispose of hazardous waste such as propane tanks, paint, gas or oil.

Weekly garbage, recycling and compost collection is unaffected on Monday, but may be delayed. If your green bin is full, you can also put compostables in a cardboard box or yard waste bag.

Twigs, brush and branches have to be packaged in bundles of no more than 10 centimetres in diameter and 1.2 metres in length, and can't exceed what's normally allowed on pickup day.

Volunteers picking up debris can leave it at the side of the road, and city crews will pick it up as they sweep through affected areas.

In Gatineau:

There are extra waste containers at five sites in Gatineau:

• Deauville and Jumonville.
• Georges-Bilodeau and Étienne-Brûlé​.
• Georges-Bilodeau and Jumonville​.
• Jumonville and Daniel-Johnson​.
• Jumonville and Tassé.

Anything can go in these containers except hazardous waste such as appliances, paint and tires. Those items should be left beside these containers.

People who live on boulevard Pink and rue Mont-Bleu can leave downed tree branches at the curb.