With a family of four and three children whom she babysits after school, Murrayville resident Tara Henry found that her household created a fair amount of food waste 鈥� and she hated to see it going into the garbage.

So when the Township introduced its Green Can program in the spring, she was eager to participate.

鈥淚 like the idea that we are helping the environment and recycling food scraps,鈥� Henry said.

Having experienced the food scrap program in Halifax, Henry found it difficult to adjust when she moved to the Lower Mainland

鈥淚 found it terrible that we were throwing food into black garbage bags.鈥�

Although she regularly composts, some items like bones, meat, and dairy cannot go into a backyard composter and were being thrown out. For residents who don鈥檛 compost, all their food scraps are usually just thrown away.

That鈥檚 such a shame, Henry thought, especially as almost half of the community鈥檚 garbage is made up of food scraps that could be composted.

But last May, the Township launched its Green Can initiative and encouraged all residents who receive weekly garbage and recycling pick-up service to recycle their kitchen scraps. Unwanted food scraps, including meat, bones, dairy products, fish, bread, and soiled paper, can be put in a regular garbage can with a Green Can decal attached to it and placed curbside for collection.

Food scraps collected from Township residents are used by The Answer Garden Products to produce high grade compost for local retailers. Not only is composting better for the environment, it costs less than sending material to the dump.

To be a Green Can participant, residents can find or purchase a small container or ice cream pail with a lid. Keep it in your kitchen to collect scraps and then transfer the contents into your larger Green Can for collection.

Because Green Can is replacing the Township鈥檚 Yard Trimmings program, residents can get started right away by using their old Yard Trimmings can, placing a new Green Can decal on it, and putting their food scraps inside.

If you do not already have a can, buy a garbage can with a tight-fitting lid, which holds a maximum of 80 litres, and weighs less than 20 kg when filled. It needs a Green Can decal, and can be left at the curb for pick up on recycling collection day. Yard trimmings can also go into the Green Can.

Decals are available from the Civic Facility, Operations Centre, and at all Township community recreation centres.

Layers of newspapers, leaves, or grass between the scraps in the Green Can can be used to cut back on odours.

For more information, visit