Byron gets the first green bins with delivery across London now underway | CBC News

The City of London’s long-awaited green bin program got started Monday with the delivery of the first bins to homes in Byron. 

Approximately 120,000 green bins will go out between now and mid-December to residential houses that already have curbside garbage and recycling pickup.

Michelle Tucker was one of the first recipients, and like many Londoners, she’s heard talk of composting for almost as long as she’s lived in the city. Officials have been working on the waste-removal plan for more than 20 years, and missed its own rollout deadline three times. 

“We moved here from Toronto and we heard that it was coming and now it’s finally here,” said Tucker. “I’m happy that the [green bins] will be coming, that we will have a set schedule, that it won’t be a staggered pickup, like the current system.”

Residents who are receiving their green bins will have to set them aside until the collection program begins on Jan. 15, 2024. 

The bin includes a kitchen container and copy of the 2024 Waste Reduction and Conservation Guide, which outlines what can go in the bin and where it should be placed on collection day.

“Many of us having been working very hard over the last couple of months to get ready for this day,” said Jay Stanford, the director of climate change, environment and waste management at the city. “The excitement is very high.”

Stanford said the city also has plans to launch a pilot project for residents in apartment buildings, with the details expected by early next year.

You can find out more about the rollout on the City of London website.