Three easy steps for dealing with food waste:

• Keep the countertop bin in your kitchen, on the counter or under the sink.
• Dump your food waste and other accepted materials into it.
• Empty it into the communal brown bin once a week or as needed.

By participating in the collection, you help reduce greenhouse gases and create compost.

What can be composted?

Raw, cooked or spoiled food, as well as soiled paper and cardboard, are accepted for the food waste collection. Learn about the accepted and refused materials.

How do I maintain my countertop bin?

Wash it regularly with mild, biodegradable soap or with white vinegar mixed with warm water. You can put your food waste directly in the bin. However, using paper bags or liners made of newsprint can help keep your bin cleaner.

Which bags should I use for my countertop bin?

• Paper and compostable bags
• Make a bin liner out of newspaper 
• If you don’t mind washing out your bin more often, you can put your food waste directly in the bin. 

Plastic bags and oxo-biodegradable bags are not compostable. Under no circumstances should they be put in your brown bin. 

To learn more about the types of bags accepted for food waste collection, see the section on choosing the right bag.

How can I control odours?

• Line the bottom of the bin with newspaper to absorb excess liquid.
• Wrap small quantities of meat (including fats, fish, seafood, etc.) in newspaper. Food waste can be stored in the freezer between collection days using a freezer-safe container with a lid. Or, you can put your countertop bin directly in the refrigerator.
• Sprinkle with baking soda or put a piece of charcoal in the bin. 
• Wash your bin regularly with mild soap or a mixture of warm water and white vinegar.
• Using paper bags or newspaper liners can help.
• Avoid putting liquids into the bin.
• Avoid putting your bin in the sun.
• Make a habit of putting your food waste out for collection every week, even if your bin is not full. 
• If odours persist, rinse the bin with a solution of vinegar and water.

Where and when should I empty my countertop bin?

When it’s full or on the day of the collection, the countertop bin should be emptied into the outdoor brown bin provided for this purpose. Consult your building manager or the person responsible for managing waste in your building to find out where the outside bin is located. The collection schedule can be consulted via the Info-collectes webpage.

If my bin breaks, how can I get a new one?

Before you think about replacing your bin, maybe it can be repaired. The Ville de Montréal offers a free bin repair service. Call 311, and if the bin can be repaired, workers will come to your home within 10 business days. In the event that the bin cannot be repaired, it will be replaced. For more details on repairing or replacing food waste bins, go to Request a brown bin.

A tenant in my building puts non-compostable materials in our common bin. What can I do?

First of all, remember that sorting organic waste is a new habit for people to integrate into their daily lives. If a tenant appears to be putting non-compostable material in the common bin, it is recommended to discuss it with the landlord, the manager or the person responsible for waste management. You can also ensure that the tenant has received the food waste collection information and that the information is displayed near the collection containers and in common areas. If necessary, leaflets and posters are available at the ecocentre. Promoting the collection at meetings of residents can help solve the problem.

Some advice 

Good communication is essential to ensure the collection of food waste in your building is successful. Here are some tips to help maximize residents’ participation. 

• Identify a person who is responsible for answering residents’ questions.
• Make sure the collection bins are clean and easily accessible to residents.
• Involve residents in the planning process of the new collection.
• Promote the collection at condominium meetings or other events that bring residents together.
• Display information about your building’s collection near the containers and in common areas. If necessary, leaflets and posters are available at the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce ecocentre. 
• If you have a page or group on social media, share the news about the implementation of the food waste collection. 
• Be sure to provide new tenants with information about the collection.
• Encourage residents to provide feedback and suggestions.

• Store the bins in a cool, well-ventilated place that is sheltered from the sun and easily accessible to residents.
• To prevent animals from getting into the bins, position them as far away as possible from fences, trees, picnic tables, outdoor gathering areas and playgrounds.
• Keep the bins closed at all times.
• Rinse the bins regularly. The use of a mild detergent is recommended. After rinsing the bin, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda into it.
• Alternate food waste with shredded paper, napkins, newspapers or other soiled paper or cardboard products. If possible, keep a stack of newspapers in a dry place next to the bins and ask residents to alternate layers of paper and layers of food waste.
• Inform residents of the collection schedule and ask them to put their organic materials in the bin as close as possible to the collection day.
• Put your bins out by the street every collection day, even if they are not full.