All food, yard waste and pet waste can go in the green cart. If you're already backyard composting - keep it up and use your green cart for all the other food and yard materials that can't go in a backyard composter.
To help you get started, you can 
download a list of acceptable materials or view a more detailed list of acceptable materials below.
If you're not sure whether an item can be composted, use our What Goes Where search tool to look it up and find out what to do.
Even small amounts add up, so remember to include the food from meal preparation, cleaning out the fridge and plate scrapings too. Learn how to collect food and yard waste on our Using Your Green Cart page.
Yes. Put these compostables into your green cart.
Meat, fish, poultry, shellfish and bones
Fruits and vegetables incl. pits
Remove any stickers.
Bread, pasta, noodles, rice, beans, couscous, grains, crackers, cereal
Eggs, eggshells and dairy products (e.g. cheese, sour cream, etc.)
Cooking oil, lard, shortening, jams, butter, sauces, grease, dips, salad dressing, mayonnaise and gravy
Pastries, cookies, cakes and muffins
Nuts, seeds, chips, popcorn and candy
Coffee grounds, coffee filters and tea bags
Food-soiled paper towels, napkins and used tissues (e.g. Kleenex)
Leaves, cones and needles (all conifers - pine, spruce, etc.)
Plants, tree fruits, coconut planter liners and flowers
Branches, twigs, and hedge prunings
Less than 15 cm in diameter and 1.25 m in length so it can fit inside the green cart
Grass clippings
and sod
See What Goes Where for special instructions and weight restrictions for sod.
Garden soil, sand and untreated mulch
See What Goes Where for special instructions and weight restrictions for soil and sand.
Christmas trees
Trunks must be less than 15 cm in diameter and the tree cut down into 1.25 m lengths.
*Always fill your green cart first. Yard waste can be put loose inside the cart. If your green cart is full, use paper yard waste bags and set them away from the side of your green cart for pick-up. Make sure to roll up the bags and that they can be easily lifted. Please note that paper yard waste bags have a 20 kg weight restriction.
Extra branches can also be tied in 1.25 m bundles with natural fibre string.
Pet fur, hair or feathers
Pet food and treats (including rawhide bones and birdseed)
Untreated lumber
Less than 15 cm in diameter and 1.25 m in length so it can fit inside the green cart. Wood must be free of nails, screws, etc.
Wooden popsicle sticks, chopsticks and toothpicks
Can meat, bones and pet waste be safely composted in the green cart?
There are no health and safety issues with putting meat, bones and pet waste in the green cart. During the in-vessel composting process the material reaches and maintains temperatures of at least 55 degrees Celsius, which kills any harmful bacteria. Learn more about the composting process.
No. Please keep these items OUT of your green cart.
- No plastic, oxo-biodegradable or biodegradable bags. If using a bag, only use certified compostable bags.
- No diapers, wipes or sanitary products
- No food or beverage packaging
- No plastic plates or cutlery
- No painted or treated wood
- No fruit or vegetable stickers
- No dryer lint or vacuum dirt
- No wax paper or butcher's paper
If you're not sure if an item can be composted, use our What Goes Where search tool to look it up and find out what to do.