WATCH: Tomorrow, Metro Vancouver begins enforcing the organics ban that took effect on New Year’s Day. Elaine Yong has a report on how we are doing so far and what will happen if you don’t comply.
The rules to ban organic waste in garbage cans in Metro Vancouver have been in place since New Year’s Day but starting tomorrow, the city will start enforcing the ban.
As of July 1, if you don’t compost, you could face a fine.
The organic materials ban was put in place to decrease the amount of methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas that adds to global warming, created in landfills. Space is also limited in the landfills and more than 30 per cent of what is sent there is compostable organics.
READ MORE: Metro Vancouver condos discovering unique challenges in composting
What has been banned? Items like food scraps, raw food, scrapings from your plate, leftovers, depackaged food and meat, and some soiled paper (such as pizza boxes or used table napkins). You are advised to check with your local municipality to ensure you are recycling all you can.
“It’s important to remember that this has been done in many, many places across North America. Places like Boston and Seattle and Halifax, which did it 15 years ago,” said Andrew Marr of Metro Vancouver Solid Waste Planning.
About 300,000 tonnes of food scraps are already diverted every year and Metro Vancouver has one of the highest overall recycling rates in North America at 60 per cent.
And while many residents have already been using their green bin to separate food scraps and organic waste from regular garbage, the new rules will impact everyone, including those in apartments and multi-family dwellings. Anyone caught dumping excessive amounts of food waste will be subject to surcharges.
But Metro Vancouver still has a long way to go when compared to countries like Denmark; where only three to five per cent of their waste goes to the landfill.
“Waste is a resource… you need to think about it as a material resource and utilize that to the best of your ability,” said Jacob Simonsen, who is with the Danish Waste Association and is in Vancouver this week.
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