Updated 2026-05-20. A large share of household waste is organic material that could be composted or avoided altogether. The habits below work alongside a backyard pile or municipal green bin to cut what leaves the home.
Start before the bin
- Plan around what you have. Checking the fridge before shopping reduces duplicate buying and the produce that wilts before it is used.
- Store produce well. Keeping herbs, greens, and root vegetables in their preferred conditions extends how long they last and lowers spoilage.
- Use the whole item. Vegetable trimmings, stems, and stale bread can often be cooked rather than tossed.
- Keep a counter caddy. A small lidded container for scraps makes it easy to divert peelings to compost instead of the garbage.
An indoor option for winter
When outdoor composting slows in winter, an indoor worm bin keeps kitchen scraps moving. It handles fruit and vegetable waste, coffee grounds, and small amounts of paper, and it fits in a closet or under a counter. The method is covered in more detail in backyard composting methods.
Working with a green bin
Many Canadian municipalities collect organics through a green-bin program. These programs typically accept a wider range of material than a backyard pile, including meat, dairy, and bones, because they process waste at higher temperatures. Coordinating the two is straightforward: compost garden trimmings and plant scraps at home, and send the materials a backyard pile should not take to the green bin.
Accepted materials and bin rules differ between cities and change over time. Your municipality's waste pages are the authority on what your local program takes and how to prepare it.
What goes where
| Material | Backyard pile | Green bin |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit and vegetable scraps | Yes | Yes |
| Coffee grounds, eggshells | Yes | Yes |
| Meat, dairy, bones | Generally no | Usually yes |
| Leaves and garden trimmings | Yes | Often, varies |
Closing the loop
Reducing waste and composting reinforce each other: fewer scraps mean a more manageable pile, and a working pile turns the scraps you do have into something useful. To keep that pile healthy, the mix of materials matters, which is the subject of balancing greens and browns.
References
- Government of Canada — reducing and managing household waste: canada.ca waste reduction
- United States Environmental Protection Agency — reducing wasted food at home: epa.gov reducing wasted food