The Compost Facility
The Compost Facility is an outdoor space located at the Solid Waste Facility where compostable organic material is delivered and converted into rich compost. It is blended with woodchips, yard waste and shredded cardboard then placed into long piles called "windrows". Once the material is finished converting into compost, it is useful at the Solid Waste Facility for a variety of things. If the compost passes CCME testing, it may be made available for sale.
Composting Process
The windrows at the compost facility must be regularly maintained as it uses oxygen and heat-activated bacteria to decompose the organic material. The upkeeps allows for a suitable environment that allows microbial activities to transform the material into compost. An appropriate mixture of carbon and nitrogen require monitoring of moisture, oxygen levels and porosity. Temperature is regularly monitored due to a large amount of heat generated which can reach above 60°C for a few days during the early phase of decomposition. Once the compost begins to cool down, the pile is screened and set aside to continue the curing process for the next 10-12 months.
Green Compost Cart Collection
Green cart for the win! Separating your food scraps into your green cart can make a big difference. When food and yard waste is buried in the landfill it doesn't break down or turn into soil.
The City of Yellowknife implemented a two-cart waste system with a biweekly collection schedule for single family dwellings in residential areas throughout Yellowknife as part of a Curbside Cart Program.
Utilizing green carts for organics is a fantastic way to limit the amount of compostable material going directly into the landfill, thus extending the life of the landfill and helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Compostable organic material in a landfill will breakdown and create methane without the benefit of resulting in mature and stable compost.
Only materials that can fully undergo the composting process are accepted in the Curbside Cart Program.
Composting reduces environmental impacts, reduces carbon footprints and extends the lifespan of the Yellowknife landfill! For more information on the benefits of composting in Yellowknife, please visit our Composting page.
Acceptable materials that can fully undergo the composting process and can be added to your green compost cart for collection:
- Food waste
- Such as meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit, bones, peels, cores, coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells
- Paper towels or facial tissues not containing chemical sprays
- Small amounts of boxboard, cardboard, newspaper, pizza boxes, paper egg cartons
- Small amounts of leaf and organic yard waste
- Such as grass clippings, small twigs, pine, spruce needles, flowers and houseplants
- Biodegradable (BPI certified) compostable products
If the item you are searching for is not included in this list, please email sustainability@yellowknife.ca with a description of the item for further instructions.
Please note: Only BPI Institute certified compostable plastics will be accepted by the compost facility. Certified compostable materials will have the following logo (pictured below) directly on the plastic. If there is no logo, the item is not certified and belongs in the garbage stream (e.g. #7 PLA plastics).
Unacceptable materials that cannot undergo the composting process and cannot be added to your green compost cart for collection:
- Cooking oil/grease
- Biodegradable materials
- General residual waste
- Soil or rolls of Sod
- Any plastic without the BPI certified compostable logo
- Such as plastic bags, berry containers, cups etc
- Animal or honey bucket waste
- Gable top or Tetra containers
- Such as Milk cartons, juice cartons, soup broth containers etc
- Manufactured and human-made wood
- Such as plywood, particle board, composite wood, "2x4" "4x4" and related building materials
- Metals
- Electronics
If the item you are searching for is not included in this list, please email sustainability@yellowknife.ca with a description of the item for further instructions.
Please note: Only BPI Institute certified compostable plastics will be accepted by the compost facility. Certified compostable materials will have the following logo (pictured below) directly on the plastic. If there is no logo, the item is not certified and belongs in the garbage stream (e.g. #7 PLA plastics).
Only organics and certified compostable materials are accepted in the green compost carts. Separating your food scraps into your green cart can make a big difference. When food and yard waste is buried in the landfill, it doesn't break down or turn into compost/soil.
Follow these tips for separating food scraps and using your green compost cart successfully:
- Remove all packaging and non acceptable material
- Such as garbage bags, berry containers, bread bags, cups etc
- BPI certified compostable bags, newspaper or a paper bags can be used to line the compost cart
- Food scraps can be placed into the green compost cart loose or in BPI certified compostable bags
- Cut pizza boxes and corrugated cardboard into strips after removing all tape/stickers
- Dog waste and cat litter are not accepted
- Close the lid of your cart completely
- Properly place cart out for pick-up before 7:00 am on collection day
- Return your cart to your property after pick-up
Please note: Only BPI Institute certified compostable plastics will be accepted by the compost facility. Certified compostable materials will have the following logo (pictured below) directly on the plastic. If there is no logo, the item is not certified and belongs in the garbage stream (e.g. #7 PLA plastics).
If you're interested in visiting the compost facility, please contact sustainability@yellowknife.ca.
Collection Schedule
