Household organic kitchen waste is collected weekly in the Town of Gibsons.
Since the Town launched the organics curbside collection program in 2018, Gibsons’ residents have successfully diverted more than 42% of their total waste (about 1,300* tonnes of organic matter) from the Sechelt Landfill. Instead, the organic waste is delivered to a state-of-the-art compost facility at Salish Soils, where it becomes rich, loamy soil.
*as at December 31, 2022
Use the Gibsons Waste App
Find your collection day, sign up for service alerts, learn how to dispose of any item, or report a problem with our “Gibsons Waste” app!
Want an automatic reminder for when it’s time to put out your organics and garbage? Unsure how to dispose of a household item? Did your garbage get missed? Use our “Gibsons Waste” app (below) to get help with all these issues. On a mobile device? Download the app by clicking on the Apple or Google icons (underneath the calendar).
Caddy Replacement
As of Monday, July 6, 2020, lost or damaged curbside caddies will be pro-actively replaced by AJM Disposal (the hauler). Kitchen caddies (the small green bin) are available from Salish Soils at a cost of $10 + GST by phoning 604.885.5383 or by emailing: office@salishsoils.com.
Lock Your Curbside Caddies
Ravens are highly intelligent, so it’s no surprise that they’ve figure out how to unlock our curbside caddies! To keep them out, please ensure the handle is in the LOCKED position (that is, pushed all the way down in front of the bin, as shown in the photo at right).
Do Not Place Kitchen Caddies at the Curb Please transfer your organic waste into the larger “curbside caddy” before taking outside for collection, rather than placing the smaller “kitchen caddy” at the curb. We are finding the kitchen caddies tend to get run over and do not hold up against wildlife as well as the larger containers.
Common Contaminants (We’re Good – But We Could Be Even Better!)
An audit of organics arriving at the Salish Soils facility showed common contaminants included non-compostable plastic bags, plastic-coated paper products (such as paper plates and ice-cream cartons), coffee pods, hard plastics and produce stickers.
Grocery bags and plastic-coated paper products like these are the most common contaminants found in our organics bins
For help determining how to dispose of any item, please access our Waste Wizard by clicking on the “What Goes Where?” button in the table below.
For answers to other common questions about this new program, please see the Frequently Asked Questions sheets beneath the table.
Dealing With Those Pesky Fruit Flies!
It’s quite common to find your organics bin is attracting fruit flies. Here’s some quick tips on how to prevent fruit flies from congregating your organics bin (and how to eliminate existing flies.)
Organic Curbside Collection: Information Sheets
In order to help residents stay informed about our organic curbside collection program, we have created a series of Frequently Asked Questions sheets, which may be downloaded below. These include answers to common questions such as Why Do We Need an Organics Diversion Program? and Where Do I Get the Materials I Need to Participate in the Program?
If you don’t see the answer to your question here, please contact us at 604.886.2274 or by email at info@gibsons.ca.
Organics Poster – What Can (and Cannot) Go In Your Green Bin
Frequently Asked Questions: Single-Family Residential Curbside (for residents of single-family dwellings such as houses or suites.)
Frequently Asked Questions: Multi-Family Dwelling Version A (for residents of strata or multi-family dwellings.)
Letter to Managers of Multi-Family Developments re Organics Diversion Program (re. how to prepare for organics pickup program)
Organics opt-out program
Town of Gibsons residents who correctly home compost 100% of their organic waste may apply to opt out of Gibsons’ curbside organics collection program by describing how they divert household organic waste from the landfill. Applications will be evaluated by Town staff and written decisions will be provided to all applicants.
Applications are now closed to opt-out for the 2023/2024 calendar year. To find out how to opt-out for 2024/2025, please email info@gibsons.ca.
Please note: Billing for the organics program runs from April 1st to March 31st each year.
Organics opt-out renewal program
Residents who have been approved to opt-out of the organics curbside collection program must renew their application each year. In order to meet the renewal requirement, you must:
- still reside at the same address where you were initially approved to opt out of the organic curbside collection program, and
- continue to home compost 100% of your organic waste, and that you use the same home composting methods described in your initial application.
Renewal Form: A renewal letter and form will be sent to each qualified resident by mail.
Learn More About Composting
This excellent video explains why composting is SO beneficial to our planet – it’ll make you glad you’re helping out!
