Toronto's green bin program is key to achieving high levels of waste diversion, and it's been designed to be easy to participate in, so there are many options for green bins:

You can line your outdoor green bin cart with a larger plastic bag, or cellulose-lined kraft paper bag (a heavy paper bag with waterproof lining), and simply empty the kitchen green bin contents directly into it. Just tie or roll up the cart liner bag on garbage day.

• Don't line your kitchen green bin at all - Fortunately, kitchen green bin collectors are easy to wash by hand or in the dishwasher, so keeping them clean is simple. Simply empty the kitchen green bin contents directly into a lined outdoor green bin cart (see option above).

• Use paper in your kitchen green bin- You can use paper bags or newspaper to line your kitchen green bin and empty those into your outdoor green bin cart (line you outdoor cart with plastic or paper if necessary - see above). Watch thisvideo on how to make a simple bin liner out of old newspapers. You can also buy cellulose-lined kraft paper bags (like large yard waste bags) specially-designed to fit kitchen counter green bins

• Use other plastic bags - You can use other plastic bags (e.g. bread bags, milk bags, produce bags), or you can buy bags designed to fit green bins at most grocery or hardware stores.

• *NOTE: In Toronto, all plastic bags used in green bins are removed before the composting process. You can buy compostable bio-plastic bags designed for green bins, and for pet waste, but they will be removed along with all other plastic bags during processing of organics, and sent to landfill as residual waste. In the landfill they’re not likely to ‘compost’ due to the absence of light and air, so there’s no major environmental benefit for using compostable bags.

• (Some municipalities use a different composting process and require the use of paper or compostable bag liners for green bins).