Today marks the day that the District of Mission changes their weekly garbage picktup to bi-weekly. Compostables and recyclables will still be picked up in unlimited amounts each week. (With all that being said - if you produce extra waste because of a medical condition or if you have two or more children under the age of three in your household you can make an application for free extra garbage stickers at Municipal Hall.)
Here's why:
- They collect 8,600 tonnes of waste each year and this change will keep 950 tonnes of recyclables and compostables from entering the landfill.
- Separating food waste for weekly collection removes the smelliest part of your garbage.
- Research has shown that bi-weekly garbage collection has improved diversion in many cities like Abbotsford, Langley City, Pitt Meadows, White Rock, North and West Vancouver.
Thankfully the district already has a composting project (Rot Pot) in order and you don't need to setup one in your backyard (unless you want too). I personally have a small kitchen bin that I keep the under the sink ..... here's how I operate it:
- Line your kitchen bin with newspaper, brown paper bags, or use an approved compostable bag. Follow this link for a step by step video, newspaper liner
- Wrap meat, bones, and fish, in newsprint to help reduce moisture, avoid odour, and deter flies.
- Empty your kitchen bin, and rinse it on a daily basis.
- Sprinkle baking soda in the bin for freshness.
What should I put in the Rot Pot?
As a general rule, anything coming from the kitchen that will rot qualifies. This includes materials that are not recommended for backyard composting, such as cooked table scraps, bread, meat, cheese, bones and contaminated paper. Contaminated paper includes items, such as pizza and donut boxes, as well as paper towels and food napkins. You can also include wooden chop sticks, toothpicks and wooden cutlery.
If you find that you have room left in the Rot Pot for the weekly pickup, you can top it up with yard waste, such as leaves, weeds and small prunings, as long as it doesn’t exceed 20 kg in weight in total and the lid still latches shut.
Where can I get a Rot Pot?
If you are are located in the curbside collection area, but have not received your Rot Pot, if you are new to Mission’s curbside collection area, or if you need to replace a broken Rot Pot, please contact the Engineering Department at 604-820-3736 or engineering@mission.ca.
Registered basement suites are also eligible to receive a Rot Pot. If you have recently registered a suite, and require an additional Rot Pot, please contact the Engineering Department at 604- 820-3736 or engineering@mission.ca.
NOTE: Most of the finished compost is sold to various users by the private processor, but free compost is made available to residents on a Saturday around April 22, which is international Earth Day.
And now, let's talk about RECYCLING .... residents receiving municipal curbside collection may put all dry, clean recyclables in see-through blue bags for pickup on garbage day. Mission’s curbside-collected residential recyclables are taken to the Abbotsford Mission Recycling Depot (AMRD) for sorting and marketing.
For information, including a list of acceptable materials, please visit the Curbside Collection page.
To find out what day your curbside collection is - CLICK HERE.