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So, green bin usage is up 50% from last year, but I do wonder how much of that is the garbage pickup changes, and how much is that people have finally been around them long enough to figure them out?
Basically, I guess I want to see a graph of year-over-year increases for the past several months, to see just how much of the change was when garbage pickup was reduced.
I'm fairly certain it had an effect, but I do wonder the magnitude that could be attributed to it alone.
[EDIT]
Hmmm...
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/5728...well-used/
They've been around since 2010? Well then. I guess it's pretty much entirely due to the garbage pickup change!
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You'd probably see a horizontal line of use before the reduced pickup was announced, then a slightly rising line afterwards as people started to prepare by changing their habits, and then a big jump with still some rising amounts when the change happened, as people were forced to use Green Bins (and learned the value of them in doing so).
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05-08-2017, 01:54 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-08-2017, 01:54 PM by panamaniac.)
(05-08-2017, 12:28 PM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: You'd probably see a horizontal line of use before the reduced pickup was announced, then a slightly rising line afterwards as people started to prepare by changing their habits, and then a big jump with still some rising amounts when the change happened, as people were forced to use Green Bins (and learned the value of them in doing so).
With a further increase in coming months, I suspect, given the obvious advantages of using the green bin in summer weather under the new pick-up regime.
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There was a chart by month from January 2015 to March of 2017 in the update report:
As for the 20,000 tonne target, as of 2015 annual green bin use was collecting 9,400 tonnes. So if the 50% increase is sustained that would mean 14,100 or 70.5% of the target.
The summer months could prove challenging for new users to the green bin if users aren't provided with tips on how to green bin successfully over the warmer months (e.g. keep your green bin in a cool place, spray your kitchen bucket with a vinegar/water mist every time you add something, add a layer of paper waste (e.g. shredded paper, facial tissues, etc.) between food layers, etc.).
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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I keep my compost in the freezer all year around.
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That's not really reasonable for a normal household. Just my wife and I can half fill the green bin. We wouldn't be able to store all our compost in the freezer. We don't really have issues with the smell though.
We replaced the plastic bucket the region provides with a metal one. Makes rinsing it a lot easier.
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We have a chest freezer, which makes this somewhat easier. I freeze the smellier waste (chicken bones, meat fats, etc) but most organics aren't too bad if you keep to paper layers.
Had to chuckle a bit this morning - my neighbour put out his trash on an non-collection week. Still some practice needed, it seems.
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The other week, my neighbour erroneously set out the garbage can, and I happened to see his kid running to put something in it in time for the truck to arrive. The employee told him it was not garbage collection that week, whereupon the kid dragged the can back to the house.
I guess his dad figured he knew better than the worker, though, as five minutes later the kid dragged the can right back to the curb, where it sat until evening. THAT made me laugh.
A metal container works a lot better for the green bin stuff, as Andy says. The water/vinegar spray sounds like a good tip, thanks!
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After years of being displeased with the smell and yuck of those plastic green bins, my green bin has become a paper takeout bag sitting on the countertop next to the sink. breathes, so the refuse has a chance to dry out. If it doesn't, and continues to get smelly, then it's just time to toss it in the green bin, and start a new paper bag.
It's pretty low tech, but it works well for my household of 2.
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(05-09-2017, 12:15 PM)Andy Wrote: That's not really reasonable for a normal household. Just my wife and I can half fill the green bin. We wouldn't be able to store all our compost in the freezer. We don't really have issues with the smell though.
I expect that you are eating a lot of vegetables! 
While we were living in the house, the two of us (and a cat!) would usually fill up only about a quarter of the green bin. (And, no, it wasn't going into garbage, either, we would typically have only one or maybe two grocery bags of garbage.) So not sure what's typical. But, no, we didn't freeze our green bin content, either.
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I don't have A/C so in the summer a tub of compost gets pretty rank quickly. The freezer bin just gets empty as needed, sometimes a day or two and I fill it. If I'm making soup or something with a lot of veggies I do the paper bag thing. Before I started composting in the back yard I would just stick all the flyers I got in the bottom of the green bin. Seemed to work fine for me.
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Yeah... my wife's been really into watermelon lately. Probably wasn't the best estimate.
I feel like the daily coffee grounds and egg shells really helps add filler to help mask any smells too.
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From TheRecord: Waterloo Region seeing ‘great results’ with new waste collection rules
That article reports a 100% increase in green bin tonnage, after 50% increases in earlier months. If that were sustained, we would hit our commitment.
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I have always been a green bin user since the region started the program. I can't say the same for my neighbours.... however this morning when I left for work, I was surprised to see how many people have MULTIPLE green bins at the curb! The new rules were apparently a great idea!
(I was also surprised at how many of them also had 4+ bags at the curb....)
Coke
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Amazing what a little bit of incentive can do.
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