Compost & Yard Waste

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Trail in the forest

Composting is one way you can help reduce the amount of household garbage that needs to be collected each week.

Food scraps and organic materials can be added to compost piles and will rapidly biodegrade into a rich soil that can be used in your garden. Leaves, grass clippings and other garden debris can also be treated in this way.

At this time, the Township does not collect organic material or yard waste as part of its curbside collection program. Residents are encouraged to set up and manage composting at home.

Earth Machine and Green Cone Composters are available for sale at the Township office.

Managing Yard Waste

There are lots of ways to reduce and manage the amount of yard waste you generate, making looking after compost piles easier. Many of these tips are healthy for your garden and beneficial for the environment and the animals that live in our yards and gardens.

Grasscycling is the process of leaving grass clippings on the lawn, instead of bagging them. Mowing frequently to keep clippings short or using a mower with a mulching blade means that grass clippings rapidly breakdown and add nutrients back into your lawn. This can help reduce the need to use fertilizers and soil additives which can be harmful to the environment and can even help reduce the need for watering as the clippings can help retain water in the soil.
Leaves do not need to be raked up and disposed of. These can be left on your grass and beds in the fall where they will start to break down. You can help speed this process up by running a mower over leaves to help shred them. By spring, the leaves will be well on their way to becoming part of the soil and feeding your beds and lawns. Any left over leaves can be raked up and used as a mulch on vegetable and flower beds to help suppress weeds.
Leaving leaves lying is also an excellent way of providing habitat in your garden to help support biodiversity. Many species, including bees, use leaves to overwinter in, and this is essential for providing beneficial insects places to hide away during the colder months.
Food scraps from the kitchen can easily be composted in an outdoor compost heap and rapidly breakdown for a rich organic fertilizer. There are a number of ways you can speed this up – a worm composter can generate soil and liquid fertilizer and a counter top unit can take food scraps and generate a raw compost in a few hours.
Waste generated from weeding, from replacing annuals, pruning can all be added to a compost heap and over a few months will provide an organic soil for yards. Sticks, branches and wood can be shredded and added to compost heaps, or, find a quiet corner in your yard to start a branch pile that will form a habitat for insects and other beneficial species that will help attract wildlife such as birds into your yard.
If you have a lot of sticks, branches and woody debris – crack open a bag of marshmallows and have a campfire! Remember to make sure that backyard burning is allowed, and get yourself a burn permit, but a pile of woody debris is an excellent excuse for summer s'mores! And the ash that is generated is particularly beneficial for balancing acidic soils for some plants, or can be mixed in with a mulch or compost.

Leaf and Yard Waste Drop-off

The City of Owen Sound Leaf & Yard Waste Composting Site is open to Georgian Bluffs residents to drop off leaves, grass clippings, plants, and small branches.

The compost site is monitored, and users are expected to have their driver's license or other proof of residency, such as a tax bill or utility bill, on hand.

Location: 2450 28th Avenue East, Owen Sound

Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information on accepted materials, mulch and compost pickup, and commercial registration, visit the Owen Sound Leaf and Yard Composting webpage.

Earth Machine Composters

The Earth Machine is a durable backyard compost bin designed to compost food and yard waste, diverting it from landfills. When residents are encouraged to divert organics from the waste stream and are educated about the benefits of composting, up to 50% of organic waste can be diverted from the waste stream.

Food and yard waste only
80 gallons
$70 each

Resources:

Green Cone Composters

Green Cone Composters are also avilable for purchase for $140 from the Township Office, tax included. The Green Cone allows residents to compost more food waste and further reduce the amount of household organics being disposed of in landfills. Described as a “food waste digester,” the Green Cone allows for the diversion of meat, fish, bones, dairy products, coffee grounds, tea bags, raw or cooked food, and small amounts of pet waste.

For more information visit Compostec's website.