No more leaf and yard waste in Hamilton green bins as of Monday

A key change to city composting rules is about to take effect.

As of Monday, April 1, leaf and yard waste will no longer be accepted in your green bin.

Hamilton residents must instead use a brown paper bag or open-top rigid reusable container marked with a City of Hamilton yard waste sticker. Those stickers can be picked up at any municipal service or recreation centre.

Leaf and yard waste will then be taken to an outdoor facility and turned into compost. Green bins should only be used for food scraps and soiled paper products like napkins and pizza boxes.

Joel McCormick, Hamilton’s manager of waste collection, says the change ensures that leaf and yard waste, including grass clippings, will not make its way to the central composting facility, where it has been a main reason for odour concerns because it introduces ammonia into the compost processing system.