New materials will now be accepted through Durham Region’s Green Bin Program

Whitby, Ontario – Starting July 1, The Regional Municipality of Durham will be accepting diapers, menstrual products, incontinence products, pet waste and pet litter in the Green Bin for weekly curbside collection. The enhanced program will continue to use the same style of Green Bins.

Durham Region will be processing all Green Bin materials at an existing Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility. This technology allows for additional materials to be accepted into the program and collected weekly, rather than every other week. AD is the preferred solution for Durham Region due to its many benefits including the production of renewable natural gas and fertilizer from the Green Bin materials.

When: The new materials will be accepted in the Green Bin starting July 1, 2024.

Where: Households across Durham Region who currently receive curbside collection services.

Why: The revised program is designed to maximize waste diversion, minimize the waste being processed at the Durham York Energy Centre, increase convenience, and achieve compliance with Ontario’s Food and Organic Waste Policy Statement.

Residents are still required to use 100 per cent certified compostable liner bags for disposing of all Green Bin organic waste. Although the AD system is designed to remove non-organic materials, the less plastic introduced into the system, the easier it is to manage, and the less likely that plastic material will make its way into the finished digestate. Therefore, residents are encouraged to use compostable alternatives for products and materials accepted in the Green Bin where they exist.

Note: Starting July 1, a limited number of additional Green Bins will be available for residents to purchase, to a maximum of one per household, at a reduced rate of $10. Residents may purchase more Green Bins from the Region at the full cost of $19 each. There is no limit to the number of Green Bins that can be set out for collection each week. The maximum weight per Green Bin remains at 20 kilograms (44 pounds) for the health and safety of our collectors.

Residents are encouraged to download the Durham Region Waste and Whitby Waste Buddy Apps to access waste management information. The Durham Region Waste and Whitby Waste Buddy Apps provide residents with customized collection schedules, reminders about collection days, the Know Before You Throw search tool and service alerts. Available on Google Play or in the App Store, free to download.

For more information, visit durham.ca/GreenBin, email waste@durham.ca, or call 311 (within Regional limits) or toll-free at 1-800-372-1102.