What Happens To Your Organics After They're Collected?
| 1. All loads received at the Walker Environmental Group Composting Facility are weighed to record the amount of Green Bin material brought to the site. |
| 2. Collection vehicles dump the Green Bin material in a special area called the receiving building at the Composting Facility - loads that are filled with materials that can't be composted are turned away. |
| 3. The Green Bin material is put through a mixer - with group leaf and yard waste to produce the perfect blend for compost. |
 |
| 4. After mixing, the material is placed in a long piled known as a "windrow". A Gore™ cover (like a big blanket) is pulled over the pile. The cover protects the pile from the weather but allows the release of CO2 and helps reduce smells. |
5. The temperature inside a windrow is usually as high as 75 degrees Celsius! The temperature is monitored on a daily basis to make sure it's high enough to get rid of any disease producing agents (pathogens).6. It takes eight weeks from the Green Bin material to be turned into compost. It spends four weeks under the Goreâ„¢ cover, and then the material is moved to another windrow and covered for another two weeks. |
7. After the two weeks, the material is moved to another area for curing for another two weeks. This time it is not covered as there is very little smell. |
| 8. Once the composting process is complete, the compost is screened to remove oversized pieces and materials that will not break down such as plastics. |
| 9. Before screened compost can be removed from the Composting Facility, it must be tested to ensure that it meets the Ministry of Environment's Guidelines for finished compost. |
10. Finished compost that has passed the test can then be used in your gardens, flower beds, and can be mixed with soil. The Walker Environmental Group composts the Region's Green Bin material. Call them at 905-680-3777 for information about purchasing finished compost material. |