Quoted from Canadian Florist Magazine:

In Toronto, the country’s largest city is a surprisingly green place to do business. “The city brought out Green Bin Program for commercial users in 2002,” explains Lynn Martin Freeman of Martin’s, The Flower People, in Toronto. The green bins are used to discard organic materials and help divert these materials – for free – from landfills.  Each bin holds 35 gallons. We had to purchase the bins for $63.25 each, but then pickup twice a week is free. We also have the Blue Box program,” says Freeman.

Toronto also boasts another colour in its environmentally friendly rainbow: the Yellow Bag Program. This initiative also began in 2002 as a way of making commercial businesses financially accountable for the waste they create and to encourage businesses to cut down on trash. “The Yellow Bag Program was introduced at the same time as the Green Bins. We have to pay $3.10 per bag, so we’re careful about what goes in it! By the time we have separated out paper, Blue Box items, cardboard and organics, it’s mostly cellophane and plastic wrap in the yellow bag.”

So does all this reasonably priced support from the city actually help Freeman reduce and recycle? “We find that the green product backs up a little at busy times, especially at Christmas, because we can only use the four bins that we own. But we are quite pleased with the program. Before the Green Bin, we set four to six green bags out twice a week for the landfill. Now sometimes we only have one yellow bag. That feels better!”

It helps that most of Freeman’s clients care about the environment. “Many of our local customers would be horrified to take something home in a plastic bag – they are very environmentally aware. Some will just take the flowers tied together with a ribbon.”

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