why were you thinking you couldn't? You put leaves and branches in already. And remember, stuff like bread is plant matter too.

Here in oakland, we can even put meat scraps and bones in, so it's really ALL food waste. Something about high temp industrial-strength composting? Between that and recycling, I have virtually no "garbage".

I've been contacting folks in Chicago to see if there is any sort of industrial composting program.

Erica--

I remember asking aloud once if we could put fruits and veggies in the green bin (since it does make sense) but I remember the answer had to do with that stuff rotting faster than leaves and branches and screwing up the mulch they made out of it...

I love the green bin: as we can't eat our fruit orchards fast enough, there are so many (oranges, pears, nectarines, apricots, plums, etc.) that falls on the ground and the rot before we can enjoy them. I tour our fruit trees ground and put all the ones we can't eat onto the green bins.

And i already practice placing them (the ones still on the trees, not the ground ones) free on craigslist & freecycle, thanks.

our green (&recycle) bins in toronto need clearer instructions. my neighbours toss everything from children's toys, to shoes & rocks in either one. i sort it myself as much as i can with rubber gloves on. i've made my own handmade signs which have improved things a lot but i walk past recycle bins all the time that have the most ludicrous things in them (foam mattresses, china...). the concept is not that difficult!

We can put everything from bones to dryer lint in ours, according to the sticker. What baffles me the most is the "No appliances" warning on yours. I mean, really??

At least in Finland you can also put tea bags, wet tissue paper etc in to the green bin too. Anything that'll compost. Even eggshells.

Me too, Jenny...it's ridiculous. People will always think someone else will do their dirty work for them...and unfortunately for you, they're sometimes right.

I totally thought the "No Appliances" was the mind-blower...aren't fruits and veggies a given? Any natural foods, coffee filters, tissues, biodegradable pseudo-plastics (corn-based cups or containers), etc...it's all compost.

We have been using our green bin more since we bought this countertop compost container:

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=754&f=29452&q=compost bin&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1

It's easy to place food scraps, used coffee filters, etc. in it and then dump in the green bin every few days. And, there's no smell due to the heavy duty filter in the lid.

I'm sorry, but wow. Really? Composting awareness campaigns maybe need to be a part of all the slow food localvore trends happening now. That's crazy.

I use a 5 gallon bucket with a lid in the kitchen and then alternate between the yard compost and the green bin. Each week I have maybe a small grocery bag of trash, if that.

Prince Edward Island is amazing with cutting out trash -- "Prince Edward Island has a three-tier waste management system called Waste Watch, operated by the Island Waste Management Corporation, a Crown Corporation. The program is mandatory and has reduced the amount of waste on the island by 64%.[21] Consequently, the province is a national leader in waste diversion and recycling." Totally inspiring and worth looking into.