So you have been working flat out in your garden and now you have a huge pile of green waste to get rid of.
What we have in NZ particularly with garbage segregation is quite unique and interesting especially the green bin Christchurch where green waste from households should go.Collectively, we usually have 3 kinds of wheelie bins in the city and each represents the type of waste that should be contained. The yellow bin which is the largest among the three is for the recyclables, followed by the red bins for non-recyclables or the rubbish and the ccc green bin for the compostable or what we call the green waste. Yes, people mistook the green bin for dumping all the biodegradable waste but a green bin in chch is literally for green organic waste only.
If you are a bit confused about what is green waste, these are waste products that are compostable and can decompose quickly to become part of the soil. So when we say “decompose quickly”, it does mean that not all biodegradable waste products can break down as fast as the softer biodegradable waste and therefore should not belong to the green bin in Christchurch city. So what are the typical biodegradable waste that should go to the ccc green bin then?
Here are some examples of the compostable waste that should go in the green bins:
As you can see, these are generally waste that can easily decompose and in about a month these can turn into organic soil if properly managed. On the contrary, there are a lot of organic waste that according to the CCC webpage should NOT be dumped into the green bin and we have identified some of them below. We have also included why they should be out of the green bin in chch.
In this article, we would like to stress that not all biodegradable waste can be dumped into the ccc green bin in Christchurch city. So in essence, some organic waste may either end up in the yellow or red bin depending if these can be recycled or not or dirty or clean. In short, although some biodegradable waste may end up in the composting site, but sometimes it may still end up in the landfill.
For example, paper. Paper is an organic material that can be recycled if it’s clean, without toxic ink, clear and dry. In this state, it can even be thrown into the green bin. But if it’s wet with soil, or sprayed with chemicals, this should land in the red bin.
Moving on, as a team of private rubbish pickup service providers in Christchurch city for more than 10 years, we also constantly receive inquiries from folks in the city about if you can dump certain biodegradable materials in green bins. So here are some of the usual questions we get.
Pizza boxes are generally made of corrugated cardboard which can be classified along with the cartons or paper products as biodegradable or compostable waste. They generally have prints on them bearing the logo, picture and name of the bakeries or food outlets that make or sell the pizza. However, most of these prints are made of food-grade inks that are safe for human food packaging.
On the other hand, not all pizza boxes are allowed for the green bin in Christchurch city but only the clean boxes. So for those who are inquiring if it’s allowed to dump pizza boxes in the green bin? Yes, provided these are free of any messy substances, no leftover crust or any kind of stuff that can attract bugs and vermin in the composting site and don’t have the potential to let harmful bacteria thrive and contaminate the compost.
So what can we do if the pizza boxes are already stained and dirty? Put them in the red bins for the non-recyclable waste along with other brown waste such as dead twigs, stems of plants, weeds or any type of paper or cardboard that has toxic inks or some dirt on it. Some brown waste such as dried leaves and dead plants can also be included along with the green waste provided these are chopped, clean and soft. Brown waste is rich in carbon which can enhance the organic composition of compost.
We are also getting a lot of questions about food scraps. Can food scraps go in the green bin? Yes, food scraps are allowed in your green bin provided they are not dripping wet so that they will not contaminate other green waste.
Food scraps can be composed of fish bones, leftover food, cookie crumbs, and a lot of the kitchen and dining table types of waste. Why the CCC encourages homeowners to wrap their food scraps with clean paper is not only to avoid waste mix-up but also to prevent the soft food from sticking into the side of the green bin which can harbor bacterial growth as well as can attract cockroaches, rodents and ants.
The CCC waste pickup personnel are also checking on our green bins before they dump the content in their truck.
This is another question that we normally get from people who are asking us to pick up their wood waste. So can wood go in the green bin? No, wood of any type doesn’t belong to the green bin. Since wood is not compostable though biodegradable, it may land in the yellow or in red bin. Why either the yellow or red bin?
If your pieces of wood are still intact, don’t have any varnish, paint, or were not sprayed or coated with any toxic chemicals, you can include them in the yellow bin for the recyclables provided they don’t stick out from the top of the bin. At the transfer station, these will be included among the wood that can be donated or sold. In this case, you helped mother earth not to carry the burden with your wood waste and prevent it from taking some space in the landfill.
But if, for example, you want to dispose of your old furniture like a large cabinet and you disassembled it so that you can take it to the transfer station in pieces, its wood would not be accepted among the recyclables if it’s varnished or painted or treated with chemicals and therefore must only go with the general waste or to the non-recyclable waste.
No furniture can be dumped into any of the bins we have in Christchurch city that’s why people go for different alternatives on how to dispose of old furniture. Unfortunately, some individuals who want to get rid of their old, dilapidated furniture leave them out in the vacant lots or back of the roads which not only violates our law but also contributes to the degradation of our natural environment. So if your furniture is still in good condition, you can either sell it or donate it, or give it to friends. But if it’s not looking good anymore and you want to dispose of it quickly, book us online for the job.
With us, there’s no small or big job. We can take single items like whiteware or any other large furniture from households. We can also take many items at once depending on your requirement’s. Just let us know what you need and we can sort it out for you in no time.
Compostable waste that should go into the green bins is normally not very large in volume. We’re talking about individual household waste. That’s why among the three bins, the green bins are the smallest and intended only for the garden/backyard/kitchen waste. However, the CCC’s regular days for green waste pick up in Christchurch city happens only once a week.
So the problem with many households usually happens during special occasions, holidays, garden renovation and landscaping activities when a lot of organic waste is produced. In this case, a single green bin for a household would not be enough to contain all the waste.
The green bin collection in Christchurch although has a once-a-week schedule, once the organic waste becomes too much, this is where people would need to hire private rubbish pick-up teams like us for the job. You too can book us online to pick your rubbish regardless of its kind.
We can pick garbage just like what your green bin contains and we can also take mixed waste or general waste in one go provided it doesn’t contain food waste. We can also collect large items like furniture and whiteware.
We provide waste pickup services to many locations within Christchurch city. And if you want to know what garbage disposal we do, the types of rubbish we take, the kinds of vehicles we use, and most especially how much we charge for every large item, you can check all of these here.
So remember, if you have too much waste that your green bin in Christchurch and you want it out of your sight quickly, just let us know. Book your pickup online
We at “rubbishpickup.co.nz ” can dispose of your junk as fast as you want it gone. We adhere to our motto “We Come To You” so if your rubbish or junk is not being picked up by your regular waste collection team, trust that we’ll pick it up for you. So worry no more. Christchurch rubbish removal is our job and need not be a problem.
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