Why is grass and other yard waste no longer accepted in the Green Bin program?

When we separate grass and leaf and yard waste from organic waste (food scraps, soiled paper products), we help stay within the processing capacity of the CCF and help reduce the potential of creating ammonia, therefore maintaining good air quality at the CCF.

What happens to my grass and other yard waste when collected as leaf and yard? Where is it taken?

Grass and leaf and yard waste can be made into compost more naturally and for less money at Hamilton’s separate outdoor composting facility located at the Glanbrook Landfill.

Can I use my green bin or blue box as a yard waste container?

No. Multiple trucks collect each material and take them to separate locations. The contents in the green bin will be taken to the CCF and blue box material is taken to the Material Recycling Facility (MRF). Grass and other yard waste, when sorted correctly in a separate brown paper bag or open top rigid reusable container, is taken to the City’s outdoor composting facility at Glanbrook Landfill. Green bins are for food scraps and soiled paper products and this is how our collectors can easily identify what goes where when they are out collecting your waste.

How do I dispose of my yard waste including grass?

Grass and leaf and yard waste should go in a brown paper bag or in an open top rigid reusable container marked with a City of Hamilton yard waste sticker.

Drill holes into the sides and bottom of your rigid open-top reusable containers to allow drainage and air circulation. Remove lid before placing out for collection.

Your recycling and waste calendar included a yard waste sticker in the envelope. You can also pick up a free leaf and yard waste sticker at any Hamilton Recreation Centre or Municipal Service Centre.

Another option is to try grasscycling by leaving your grass clippings on your lawn. Grass clippings provide food for worms, which will naturally aerate your soil. They add nutrients back into the soil to help make your lawn healthy and green.

When and why did the CCF shut down?

On June 24, 2018, the City stopped accepting green bin material at the CCF and began the process of a voluntary and temporary shutdown of the operations in response to odour complaints.

What caused the odours?

The City and its operations contractor have completed their investigations into the causes of the odour experienced in June 2018. Both the City and its operations contractor have submitted these investigative findings to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) for review.

How long was the CCF closed?

The CCF was closed for approximately seven months. The CCF stopped accepting green bin material on June 24, 2018 restarted operations on February 4, 2019.

How much green bin material will the CCF be processing now that operations have restarted? Is it the same amount as before the shut down?

The initial start-up of the CCF is limited to approximately 20,000-annual tonnes, which is down by 66% from the 60,000 annual tonnes the facility was processing in the summer of 2018.

Initially, the CCF will operate under limited capacity, but following the approval of the Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) amendment, and the installation of capital upgrades, the CCF will be able to operate at an annual processing capacity of 40,000 tonnes.

How can the City be sure the issues with the CCF have been resolved?

To restart the CCF, the City and its operator have made a number of improvements and adjustments to the operations and site procedures including:

Reducing the process capacity of the CCF to one third the original design

Accepting and processing only green bin material from the City of Hamilton and not from other municipalities

Eliminating the use of the curing building and curing compost either in the main processing building or offsite at a third-party processor

Temporarily banning grass and leaf and yard waste in the Green Bin program staring in April 1, 2019

Additional operational performance monitoring including implementation and monitoring of additional key performance indicators

Hiring a third-party company to patrol the surrounding neighbourhoods for air quality impacts

What can I do if I believe I can smell the compost facility?

Residents looking for more information about the re-opening of the CCF or who would like to report a concern about air quality in their neighbourhood related to the CCF can contact the City at [email protected] or at 905-546-2489.

What is the City doing moving forward to ensure that the odours won’t return?

Moving forward, the City will be upgrading the equipment in the CCF. The City’s recommended plans for these upgrades were submitted to the MECP for review and approval. The following upgrades will be made to the CCF:

Installation of an acid scrubber to assist in the removal of ammonia generated by the composting process;

Extension of the bio-filter exhaust stack from 30 metres to 50 metres; and

Installation of a carbon filtration system to assist with the treatment of odours.

How can I help ensure the CCF is operational and not causing odours?

To assist in re-starting the facility, the City is asking residents to stop using their green bin for leaf and yard waste including grass clippings. Removing grass and leaf and yard waste will help green bin material turn into compost more efficiently. Leaf and yard waste can be made into compost more naturally and for less money at Hamilton’s separate outdoor composting area.

Residents can also help by placing acceptable materials into the green bin, which help reduce contamination.