Composting

Follow these steps to collect your food waste at home while maintaining a clean bin.

Single-family homes and residential buildings up to 8 units

Step 1
Keep your green bin clean and dry by placing a few sheets of newspaper or paper towels at the bottom.

Step 2
Add a compostable plastic or paper bag inside the bin.

Step 3
Wrap your food waste in newspaper or place it directly in your green bin.

Residential buildings of 9 units or more

Step 1
Add a compostable plastic or paper bag inside your kitchen counter bin.

Step 2
Wrap your food waste in newspaper or place it directly in your bin.

Step 3
Tie the bag or fold down the newspaper and transfer the contents into your building’s green bin.

To line your bin, use:

• Absorbent paper or paper bags
• Newspaper, leaflets or cardboard boxes
• Paper food waste bags
• Certified 100% compostable plastic bags with one of the following certification logos:
  

• Sprinkle baking soda or salt onto your food waste.
• Hang your bin 18 inches from the ground.
• Keep the bin in a shelter, inside, or in the refrigerator or freezer until collection day.
• Apply a mentholated ointment around the opening of your bin.
• Eliminate white grubs by pouring salt or vinegar on them.

Organic materials are mainly composed of water. The most important thing to do to avoid odours is to reduce humidity.

• Wrap your residues in newspaper or cardboard.
• Double your bin.
• Alternate wet materials (table scraps) and dry materials (paper towels, tissues, etc.).
• Do not pour any liquids in your bin.
• Keep your food waste in the refrigerator or freezer the until collection day.
• Put out your bin for collection every week, regardless of the amount of waste collected.

• Wash your bin with water and a mild detergent.
• Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of your bin.
• Kitchen counter bins can be put in the dishwasher.

Organic materials are materials that are biodegradable by microorganisms, and therefore compostable. These include food waste, garden waste, and other types of waste from industrial and municipal activities.

Table scraps and garden waste are transported and processed in two separate composting centers, so it is important not to mix them. Garden waste, such as plants, lawn clippings, small branches and leaves, has its own dedicated collection. For more details, see the garden waste tab.

Due to health and safety concerns for employees who pick up materials, waste placed in the green bin must be packaged in newspaper, paper bag, or compostable plastic bags. It is important not to deposit bulk residues in the bin, as this may create odour and cleanliness problems.

Participation in the composting programme is mandatory for residential buildings of 9 to 29 units. For all other address types in Westmount, participation is not mandatory, but is strongly recommended. Collection programmes for compost and recycling divert waste from landfills and demonstrate the contribution of residents to the health of their city. In addition, the Gouvernement du Québec aims to ban organic materials from landfills in the near future to reduce the amount of waste buried in the ground.

If you have a composting unit at home, it is not necessary to stop using it. Residents are encouraged to use the green bin for materials that should not be added to the household composter such as meat, fish and dairy products.

Food waste is transported to the St-Thomas composting center where it is mixed with wood chips and placed in swaths. As organic waste degrades, it produces heat. The internal temperature of the swath increases to 70°C, which eliminates pathogens. The composting process takes about six months and the finished product is used as soil fertilizer. Since the residues brought in are minimally sorted, it is very important that only compostable materials are placed in the green bin.

Organic matter is composed mainly of water. In the presence of liquids, anaerobic decomposition of the materials occurs, which can cause odours. The essential thing to avoid odours is to limit humidity in the bin. Wrapping organic residues in newspaper before putting them in the green bin is the best solution. Another option is to store leftovers in the freezer or refrigerator, and put them in the green bin only the day before the collection, especially during hot weather.