The Compost Facility receives food scraps, brush, and leaf & yard waste from around the city. 

  • Find information on what types of organic materials are accepted in the program and answers to other frequently asked questions.
  • Find your organic waste collection schedule, print or set reminders, and learn about green cart collection tips using the app below:

What can and cannot be composted?

CompostableNot Compostable 
  • Meat
  • Bread, pasta, rice, and flour
  • Seafood
  • Fruit & vegetables
  • Bones
  • Peels and cores
  • Coffee grounds, filters, and tea bags
  • Eggs & eggshells
  • Pizza boxes
  • Paper yard waste bags
  • Greasy paper takeout bags (staples and receipts removed)
  • Paper napkins
  • Parchment paper
  • Leaves, grass clippings, pine needles
  • Twigs and branches less than 2.5 cm in diameter
  • Flowers and houseplants (removed from plastic pots)
  • Natural wood shavings and unused boiler pellets
  • Popsicle sticks
  • Paper egg cartons and takeout drink holders
  • Shredded paper
  • BPI-certified compostable bags
  • Cutlery, cups, and containers are clearly labelled “compostable.”

  • Plastic bags (i.e. black garbage bags)

  • Reusable grocery bags
  • Plastic wrap
  • Clothing and textiles
  • Hygiene products (Diapers, wipes, sanitary products)
  • Styrofoam packaging and meat trays
  • Metals (Aluminum and tin cans, tinfoil, baking trays, cutlery)
  • Coffee pods
  • Paper cups (single-use coffee cups, soda cups)
  • Milk and juice cartons
  • Paper towels with cleaning products
  • Bedsheets and pillows
  • Painted & treated wood
  • Logs, tree stumps, and large amounts of brush - Take to the brush bin at the SWF
  • Rocks, gravel, soil & sod rolls - Take to a Construction & Demolition bin at the SWF
  • Fire Pit, Fire Place or BBQ Ashes – Take to the Ash bin at the SWF
  • Animal carcasses - Take to the SWF
  • Diapers, kitty Litter, dog feces & pee pads - Bag and place in your black cart

FAQ

Did you know that approximately 40% of all material that ends up in the landfill could be composted? It’s one of the most effective methods available to reuse material that would fill up a landfill otherwise.

When you separate organic materials from your garbage, you help reduce your own carbon footprint, extend the life of the landfill, and help support your community in conserving valuable resources.

Reduces Environmental Impacts 

  • Composting diverts 1,000 tonnes of organics annually that would otherwise end up in the landfill, therefore helping to extend its lifespan
  • Prevents the natural moisture in food from turning into leachate. Leachate is a highly contaminated, typically dark liquid produced when water flows through solid waste in landfills, absorbing dissolved or suspended hazardous materials

Reduces Carbon Footprint 

  • Reduces greenhouse gases by trapping carbon, reducing methane generation and converting organics into a stable material.
  • The compost produced can be used at the Solid Waste Facility, mainly as cover soil to place over the landfill cells. Research has shown that compost can be used as a highly cost-effective method of reducing our carbon footprint when used as cover material for landfills. This is due to its ability to absorb methane emissions. This is especially important for Yellowknife, where access to suitable soil for cover is scarce, and landfill gas collection systems are not as feasible to implement.