Door-to-Door Collection of compostable Matter
Collecting together!
Like Chelsea, Cantley, and many other municipalities in Quebec, La Pêche has committed to collecting organic waste door-to-door. It compared it to the backyard composting residents already engage in and has decided to join the Collecting together (Ensemble on composte) movement May 2, 2022!
For greater efficiencies, all organic waste will be processed in Vallée-de-la-Gatineau RCM.
Why brown bins in La Pêche?
To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
To turn organic waste into rich compost to feed the soil.
To reduce waste that ends up in landfills and thereby increase their lifespan.
To participate in collecting organic waste and thus reach the objectives that Quebec has set.
Reception of bins
Bin distribution when the spring thaw occurs:
The Municipality will provide a small kitchen
bin, as well as a brown bin to put on the curb
for collection. You can use paper bags in your
bins but never plastic ones, even if they are
biodegradable or compostable. It is essential
to keep plastic out of the brown bin!
Collection begins May 2, 2022
Bins distribution begins
April 4, 2022
Collection frequency Weekly from May to October
and every two weeks the remainder of the year
REMINDER - Together we collect, together we compost
*Materials that are difficult to process in home composters. Toss them in the brown bin!
Raw, cooked, or spoiled food
• Coffee and coffee filters, tea and teabags
• Condiments*
• Cookies, candies, desserts*
• Dairy products*
• Eggs and eggshells
• Fish and fish bones*
• Fruits and vegetables
• Herbs and spices
• Meat, poultry, and bones*
• Nuts and shells
• Pasta, bread, grains, rice*
• Pet food*
• Seafood and seashells*
• Vegetable fats and salad dressings*
Soiled paper and cardboard
• Paper handkerchiefs, towels, and napkins*
• Paper tablecloths, plates, cups, etc.*
• Unwaxed soiled cardboard food containers and packaging (e.g., pizza boxes)*
Yard and plant waste
• Garden waste (except certain noxious or invasive plants listed on
the website)
• Healthy or sick plants, indoor plants, and attached soil
• Leaves and lawn clippings
• Straw and hay
• Tree branches less than 1 metre long and 12 mm thick*
• Wood chips and sawdust
In addition to the green waste that will be
collected with organic waste,
spring and fall
yard waste will be collected in May and October
.
You can place these materials directly in your
bin or in paper bags (use bags when you have
a large amount).
Other organic materials accepted
• Cat litter and animal excrement not made of silica (in bulk or in paper bags only)
• Cold ashes
• Hair, nails, fur, and feathers
• Toothpicks and wooden popsicle sticks and skewers
• Plastic bags, even those marked biodegradable, oxobiodegradable, or compostable
• Absorbent pads from meat and fish
• Certain noxious plants (Common reed)
• Cigarettes
• Dead animals
• Diapers and personal hygiene products (dental floss, sanitary pads, cotton swabs, etc.)
• Household hazardous waste (HHW) such as waste oil, batteries, paint, etc.
• Plasticized or waxed paper packaging (e.g., ice-cream containers)
• Soil, sand, and gravel (except soil attached to plants)
• Styrofoam
• Textiles
• Tree trunks and stumps
• Vacuum-cleaner waste
• Wood, cement, ceramics, and other CRD (construction, renovation, and demolition) waste
I already compost at home. Why would I want a brown bin?
If you’re already composting food and yard waste at home, collection of compostable organic materials will fill in some gaps. The materials marked with an asterisk (*) on the list below can be a problem for home composters, whether you have an outdoor setup or a vermicomposter. You can keep composting at home and use your brown bin as an environmentally friendly way to get rid of any other organic materials your system can’t handle. Brown bins can also come in handy when you have large quantities of yard and green waste to deal with.
What do I do with food and other household organic waste?
Collect your organic waste in the mini kitchen bin provided by the Municipality. Empty it regularly into your brown bin. To make things easier and more hygienic, you can line your mini kitchen bin with small paper bags, or your brown bin with large paper bags. You can buy paper bags for this purpose or simply use newspaper.
Can I use plastic bags?
Sorry—all plastic bags are banned from your brown bin, even those marked biodegradable or compostable. However, paper bags designed are okay.
Where to buy paper bags for composting?
The following locations supply paper bags for your mini kitchen bin:
Matériaux Gauvreau ski-doo 4 Route Principale Est
Alimentation Pilon
Organizations that want to become a partner to sell paper bags for composting are invited to contact the Municipality:
819-456-2161, ext. 2276
What happens to the organic waste I collect in my brown bin?
Organic waste will be transported to the MRC de La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau composting centre in Kazabuzua to be composted in turned windrows. You will even be able to use the compost produced there since the plan is to make it available to municipal residents (stay tuned for more information on this).
Organic waste is freezing to the bottom of the bin
• Line your brown bin with a big paper bag or newspaper, or place a piece of cardboard on the bottom of the bin before tossing in your compostable organic materials.
The bin smells
• Put your brown bin out every collection day, especially when it’s hot. Between pickups, keep your brown bin in the shade away from full sun.
• Rinse your brown bin with soap and water or vinegar.
• Use paper bags for food waste or add a top layer of newspaper or yard waste to your bin each time you add food waste.
• Freeze stronger smelling food waste (e.g., leftover fish) and don’t put it out until the day before your brown bin is collected.
Pesky animals are attracted to the bin
• Use the designed locking system or a bungee cord to keep the bin securely closed. IMPORTANT : Be sure to unlock the bin or remove the cord on collection day. Otherwise your bin will not be emptied.
• Sprinkle the top of the bin with Cayenne pepper or spread some menthol around the edges.
• Take the same precautions as with household garbage.
The contents of the bin are infested with worms or maggots
• Rinse your bin after it’s been emptied and leave the lid open in the sun to dry. You can also sprinkle your bin with baking soda, spray it with vinegar, or rinse it with boiling water.
• Keep the lid closed at all times. Put out your compost on every collection day, especially when it’s hot. Between collection days, keep your bin in the shade away from full sun.
• Layer your food waste with dry materials in the bin (such as newspaper, sawdust, dead leaves, or paper towels).
• Keep meat or fish leftovers in the freezer and only put them in brown bin the day before pickup. You can also wrap them in newspaper or put them in a paper bag before tossing them in the bin.
