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By now – whether we like it or not – we should all be getting used to separating our food waste from the rest of our garbage. With the July 1 cut-off date for implementation well behind us, fines for non-compliance can now be imposed.
Many strata corporations are asking about how the legislation will be enforced. Here is a summary of the different enforcement periods and associated fines to be imposed by your waste service provider:
- Now to December 2015: Any garbage loads with more than 25 per cent organics may be fined with a 50 per cent surcharge (approximately $500 or more).
- 2016: Any garbage loads with more than 10 per cent organics may be fined with a 50 per cent surcharge.
- 2017: Any garbage loads with more than five per cent organics may be fined with a 50 per cent surcharge.
While enforcement measures are likely to focus initially on major organic waste producers, such as restaurants, grocery stores, and hotels, strata corporations should take note of the enforcement calendar. Many stratas worry about the difficulty of encouraging all residents to properly separate food waste. Education is the key to success.
Use a “kitchen catcher”
The success of your organic program is greatly influenced by how residents separate food waste in their units. Experience shows that the use of a kitchen catcher (small plastic bin with a snap-latch lid) by residents is critical for the proper capturing of organic material. A good kitchen catcher will be sturdy and have a seal-tight lock, to prevent spillage should it be dropped in a common area. Kitchen catchers should also be perforated to allow airflow. Contrary to common belief, the airflow prevents foul odours by allowing organic waste to dry rather than decompose in moisture. It may also be helpful to use a kitchen catcher that comes with a label explaining what items can be disposed of as organic waste. Properly diverting food waste in your unit helps your strata’s centralized organics bin remain clean and smell-free.
Keep your waste dry
The dryer the food waste disposed of by residents, the less potential for bad odours and infestation. Residents should pour all food liquids down the drain rather than into the kitchen catcher. Also be sure to frequently empty your kitchen catcher into your building’s centralized organic waste bin.
Newspaper is also a great tool for residents. Wrapping your food scraps in newspaper before dumping it into your kitchen catcher will help soak up any moisture to further limit odours. Newspaper is not only readily available, it is often free. Use it to line to your kitchen catcher. Since newspaper is compostable, it can be dumped into your strata’s centralized organic cart.
Be sure to remove glass, plastic and metal
It is important not to mix glass, plastic, and metal with your organic waste. While it may seem easy to throw out containers lined with food scraps, including non-organic materials in your organic waste can easily lead to fines for the strata as these materials can be detected by your service provider during regular pick-ups.
