Photo Wednesday

This week's edition of photo Wednesday is a stinker, of sorts. It is garbage day on our street. The amount of garbage we place at the curb has been reduced drastically with the faithful use of our organics bin. Our garbage consumption has been further been reduced with the introduction of potty training as there are less diapers going to the landfill.

While I may seem like a bad neighbour for complaining about the following, I am tired of going out every garbage day and seeing the lack of recycling boxes at the curb. Of the residents who use this garbage pad, we are the only ones who use a green bin. Actually, there are only a handful of organics bin users on my street. Except for our blue bins, others of their species are rarely seen at the garbage pad. However, I should mention one of my neighbours did put out their blue bin after this photo was taken. Also, remnants of a dresser were also added to the pile. (Come on people, have you ever heard of an organization called Goodwill?) I will give my immediate neighbour a pass on this because she barely makes any garbage. (It really is quite amazing. I'd like to know her secret).

But please consider this a public plea of sorts: please, please, please consider using the green organics program. It substantially reduces garbage output. Less garbage in bags at the curb is a good thing. Plus, you are paying for the program so you might as well use it.

Rant over.

Photo Wednesday

This week's photo is of darling daughter pretending that our new green bin is a shopping cart. "Shopping cart, shopping cart," is what I heard come out of her sweet little mouth as she was trying to push it around the house when we got it on Monday afternoon. The "shopping cart" is now at the curb, waiting to provide a deposit to the organics truck.

Weeks late, but it has arrived

There it was, glittering in the June sunlight, sitting quietly outside my front door, waiting for a warm welcome to its new home.

Finally, my green bin.

In the last week, I was losing hope that I was getting a green bin from the City of Ottawa. The letter from the city that stated I could order a green bin seemed like almost like a dream. And the email that arrived in my inbox stating I would be receiving a green bin in four weeks almost seemed like a farce. It was a farce. I should have known that you have to double any time allotment the city gives provides you.

But there it was, in all its green bin glory. A 47-litre green bin, waiting to be filled with organic waste.

Looking around the neighbourhood, I saw other green bins. I’m glad to know that I’m not alone in embracing the program, but I’m a bit disappointed that my immediate neighbours haven’t jumped on board. Really, if your tax dollars are paying for this program, you might as well use it.
I immediately grabbed my camera to document the moment. Yes, I may sound over dramatic, but I’ve been waiting for this moment for nearly three years now. I remember during my childless years when I was working for a community newspaper in the city where I wrote a column, praising the green bin program. I didn’t get a good response, as one reader thought it was ridiculous that people couldn’t use compost bins instead of the city rolling out an organics program. (Sorry dear reader, but not everyone can use a compost bin).

Unfortunately for the green bin, I had nothing for its inaugural deposit of organic waste. By late yesterday afternoon, all that was in the small organics bin is a plum pit, an old slice of pizza and a banana peel. Fortunately for the green bin, we eat a lot of fruits and veggies, including watermelon which creates a lot of organic waste.

The first pick up of my green bin is Wednesday. I’ll be excited when I see the garbage truck roll by my curb this week.

Progress being made on the green bin front

Finally, some good news when it comes to me getting a green bin.

I was hoping to get a green bin last winter before the city rolled out its organics program in January, but due to the fact I live in medium density housing, I was placed in phase two of the roll out plan. At the time I contacted the city, I was told to expect to get green bin delivery sometime this spring or summer.

True to their word, I finally got a letter from the city. According to the city, the property management of the condo corporation isn't all that keen when it comes to the green bin program. In fact, the letter says, "many of the residents may not support the green bin program and they do not wish to have a condo wide delivery of green bins."

To that I say, too bad condo corporation. We already have garage and recycling pick up, what is the problem with organics pick up? As a homeowner and taxpayer, my property taxes are helping to fund this program. It makes absolutely no sense to me to pay for a program and not participate. And I don't want to hear the hogwash about stinky green bins. Either my organic waste sits in a garage can or a green bin. I choose the latter.

I'm not surprised with the notion that many residents won't support the green bin program. Heck, it is hard enough to get some of them to recycle. I'm constantly amazed at the crap people will haul out to the curb. Ottawa residents don't know how good they have it when compared to the garbage restrictions of other municipalities.

Despite the fact my condo corporation doesn't seem all that supportive of the green bin program, I am still eligible for a green bin. After reading the letter and quickly consulting with dear husband, I sent off a quick email to the city, requesting my green bin. It should arrive in four weeks. While I may be the only one on my street to have a green bin, I don't care. I've been waiting a very long time for a green bin and I fully intend to use it.

Green bin envy

I promise this will be my last whining post regarding Ottawa's green bin program until I get my green bin.

Today is garbage day in my neighbourhood. The amount of garbage on my street is quite astounding. There is a lot of cardboard, which isn't surprising since this is the first paper recycling day since Christmas. However, there seems to be more garbage bags than normal at the opposite end of the street. It almost looks like a very mini Carp mountain.

I don't like garbage day. In fact, I hate it. Sure, we generate garbage, but I am constantly amazed the amount of garbage people will haul out to the curb, namely furniture. Living in Ottawa and got an old couch? Just haul it out to the curb. Don't even think about taking it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. The garbage man will take it instead. I couldn't get away with hauling out an old couch to the curb in the community I grew up. It is unheard of. Instead, you got to buy special garbage bags (about $3 each). No black garbage bags are accepted.

Last week, someone dumped phone books onto a pile of garbage bags. They weren't picked up because it was cans, instead of paper. So there they sat in the snow bank. I doubt the recycle guys will even be able to see them this week because of the snow we have gotten in recent days. I think the next time we'll see them is sometime in the spring.

This week's garbage day is a bitter pill to swallow. Officially, this is the week the city rolls out its green bin program. Compost is being accepted. I saw a number of green bins at the curb. When I turned onto my street, it was black garbage bags and cardboard. Not a green bin in sight. Our street is in the phase two portion of the green bin program. We may get our green bins sometime this summer.

But I want my green bin now. I've been waiting patiently for a green bin since the city announced it was going to be taking the program city-wide. Until I'm able to feed my own green bin, I guess I'll just have to continue stewing with my green bin envy.

All I want for Christmas is a green bin

I was hoping Santa would pull through and deliver me a green bin since the City of Ottawa won't. But no dice.

There was no shiny green bin sitting underneath my fake plastic tree on Christmas morning. Alas, it will be at least summer before I get one. I was so excited this fall. I waited for weeks for someone to deliver a green bin to my front door step. But as September rolled into October and October became November, I wondered if it would ever arrive. I decided to call 311 a couple of weeks ago to figure out if I was ever going to get one.

It took a week (I guess a week is a good response time when dealing with such a big corporation as the City of Ottawa) before someone got back to me. I wasn't home at the time, but according to the voice mail I received I won't be getting a green bin until sometime in the spring or summer of 2010 as I live in medium density housing. I'm not too sure what this means, but I'm a part of phase two. Obviously, the city couldn't spare one of the many green bins that have been returned by upset residents in recent months. So here I wait, hoping for a green bin to arrive to my front door step. As thousands of people scrape their turkey leftovers in their new shiny green bins this Christmas, I'll be dumping my turkey remains in a green plastic garbage bag and hauling it to the curb. Destination: landfill.

The big green machine finally rolls into Ottawa

About freaking time!

While some grumps are railing against the introduction of green bins, I'm celebrating the fact that the city of Ottawa is finally rolling out its organics recycling program. While it will be January before we will be able to use the bins, I can't wait to dump all my organic waste in my new shiny, green bin.

Over the next 12 weeks the city will be delivering the large bins as well as smaller kitchen counter bins to residents' doorsteps. The city estimates the program could divert up to 45 per cent from landfills. I know that in my household that about roughly half of my garbage stream consists of organic material, due to the amount of fruit and vegetables darling daughter consumes. If that material goes into the green bin to be compost, obviously less garbage will be heading to the landfill.

So what can be tossed into the bin? Almost everything, excluding plastics. From leftover food scraps, including meat bones, to dryer lint to popsicles sticks. For the complete list, check out this link.

For years, I have had green bin envy. I have friends who live in Pembroke and they religiously use their bin. They have had access to an organics recycling program for years. After a family barbecue, wouldn't it be nice to toss your food scraps into the green bin, rather than trekking plates into the house and scraping the contents into the garbage can, knowing that material is heading to a landfill site? Every time I cut up rind fruit like watermelon I feel guilty when I toss the rinds into the garbage as I know that is material that could be composted. Unfortunately, I'm not in the position to compost as I live in a condo/townhouse development. This program is going to allow me, and thousands of others, to participate in an important program that is diverting waste from landfill sites.

Yep, I'm excited. I'm finally going to get my own green bin. I hope you use yours. I know I'll be using mine.