How to dispose of spoiled organics following Barrie’s prolonged power outage

Hydro-Quebec customers who lost power need to identify and discard any spoiled food to prevent illness. Photo by Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels

Hundreds of Barrie residents remain affected by power outages, with many now dealing with days of spoiled food in their fridges and freezers, following the ice storm madness.

As the cleanup continues, the City of Barrie has introduced several ways to help locals dispose spoiled and expired food waste. This can be anything ranging from dethawed freezer items, to not so fresh produce, and expired meats and dairy.

Disposing of spoiled organics

With many homes approaching day four of power loss, spoiled food disposal is a major concern. The City is allowing residents to place food waste in their green bins on their regular waste collection day, provided that:

• All packaging is removed.
• The green bin does not exceed 20 kilograms (45 pounds) in weight.
• Only curbside green bins are accepted (do not set kitchen catchers at the curb)

To accommodate the increased waste from the storm, residents may also place excessive amounts of food waste curbside in compostable bags inside a rigid container (up to 125 litres and 20 kg maximum weight), clearly marked “organics.”

Alternatively, spoiled food can be dropped off at the Barrie Landfill at no charge.

There are currently long lineups at the landfill. So, the City has opened Recycling Depot early and waived brush fees until May 2 to support extra cleanup.

For a full list of what can be placed in the green bin, click here.

To find out what to keep and what exactly to toss after the prolonged power outage, you can find out here.

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