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Waste Management

Select any of the icons above to switch to a different waste type.

Compostables

Composting is an easy way to turn everyday food scraps and yard waste into something useful for the environment. Residents can bring compostable materials—like fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, paper products, and garden clippings—to the bins at the transfer station.

 

Please avoid putting in plastic bags, diapers, or large branches, as these can’t be processed.

 

By composting, you help reduce the amount of garbage sent to landfills and support a cleaner, greener Otter Lake.

For questions about composting, consult Ça va où?

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How

  • Deposit in compost bins at the Transfer Station

  • Leave unbagged or use compostable paper bags

  • Home composting is also strongly encouraged

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What's accepted?

ACCEPTED

​FOOD WASTE

  • Fruits and vegetables

  • Bread, pasta, and grain products

  • Meat, fish, and seafood, including bones, skin, fat and shells

  • Dairy products

  • Expired foods

  • Tea bags, coffee grounds

  • Eggs and their shells

  • Any other food, table scraps, or processed foods, without packaging

 

FIBER

  • Soiled, unwaxed paper and cardboard (e.g., pizza boxes, paper plates, paper towels, etc.)

  • Compostable paper bags

 

OTHER

  • Hair, fur, cooled ash

  • Litter, animal droppings

 

GREEN WASTE

  • Leaves, grass, plants, flowers, roots, weeds

  • Twigs, hay

  • Wood shavings, bark, sawdust

NOT ACCEPTED

  • Plastic Bags Including those labeled “compostable”, “biodegradable” or “oxo biodegradable”

  • Diapers, sanitary napkins, Q-tips, dental floss,

  • Medication, masks, gloves, textiles

  • Wax or parchment paper

  • Animal carcasses, large branches, rocks, dust, chewing gum, cigarettes, cork

  • Oyster or mussel shells

  • All construction and renovation materials

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Useful tips

  • Use only certified compostable paper bags

  • Alternatively, use a reusable plastic container to transport compost to the Transfer station. Empty the contents into the Transfer Station compost bins.

    • Rinse the container after every collection with water and a mild detergent or vinegar.

    • Store your container in the shade & empty it weekly, regardless how much is in it.

    • Plastic pails/containers with airtight lids minimize odors and keep critters away

  • Freeze or refrigerate meat and poultry scraps until collection day.

  • If you notice maggots, sprinkle them with hot water, salt or a mix of water and vinegar to eliminate
    them.

  • In winter, keep the contents from sticking together by placing newspaper or cardboard on the bottom
    of the bin.

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Questions

  • Why can't we use ordinary or biodegradable plastic bags?
    Those bags are not compostable. These bags have to be sifted out and removed, and then sent to the landfill site. Otter Lake can be assessed penalties for compost contaminated with non compostable materials.

  • Why can't disposable diapers go into compost?
    Because they contain plastic.

  • What happens to the materials for composting?
    The Municipality of Otter Lake negotiated an agreement with the MRC Vallée-de-la-Gatineau to process Otter Lake’s compost. Compost is trucked to the Écocentre in Kazabazua, Québec for processing.

  • What happens with the composted materials?
    Periodically Otter Lake can obtain a pro-rata share of compost from the EcoCentre based on the amount of compost materials contributed.

  • Why are bags of leaves and twigs not accepted as compost?
    The Municipality of Otter Lake has a separate process for handling dead leaves and twigs less than 4 cm in diameter. See the Transfer Station attendant.

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