Editor's note: The County of Simcoe's waste collection program does not include the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia.
NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF SIMCOE
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Midhurst – Starting Oct. 1, 2018, the County of Simcoe is expanding its green bin program to accept pet waste, kitty litter and small animal cage bedding. The addition of these organic materials aligns with the County’s efforts to help residents grow their green bin, not their garbage.
Recent County waste audits indicate that pet waste makes up 15 per cent of the average household garbage bag. Removing pet waste from the garbage stream, and ultimately landfills, will also benefit the environment as when it is landfilled, pet waste contributes to the production of methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times stronger than CO2, and to the production of leachate which can negatively impact groundwater resources.
“We’ve heard from our residents for years that pet waste would be a beneficial addition to our program, and we believe it will go a long way toward helping pet owners reduce the amount of garbage they produce,” said Deputy Warden Terry Dowdall. “Pet waste isn’t the most pleasant topic to discuss, however we hope residents can help us get word out that after you scoop it you can now green bin it in Simcoe County.”
The addition of pet waste, kitty litter and small animal cage bedding to the green bin program is now possible due to the County’s recent agreement with a new organics processor in Elmira, Ontario. This is an interim arrangement as work continues on development and approvals for the County’s Organics Processing Facility within the Environmental Resource Recovery Centre.
Pet waste placed in the green bin must be contained in paper or certified compostable bags. No plastic or biodegradable plastic is permitted. A reminder that the maximum weight accepted through the County’s curbside green bin program is 20 kgs (44 lbs) per green bin. Should residents exceed this per unit allowance, additional green bins (to a max of six) can be set out at the curb and are available for purchase at County waste management facilities.
To learn more, please click here.
County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website.
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