Diane Lade opens the lower cupboards in her kitchen one-by-one, revealing a meticulous sorting station for plastics, cardboard, bottles and composting.

Although sheB次元官网网址檚 been minimizing her landfill-destined garbage for more than 20 years, Lade applauds the City of Victoria for its new kitchen scraps program.

B次元官网网址淚 really think about how everything that comes out of our household goes somewhere,B次元官网网址� said the Fernwood co-op resident. B次元官网网址淭he chemicals go down the drain ... thereB次元官网网址檚 so much plastic out there in the ocean. WeB次元官网网址檙e just happy the city has created the program and we can put more stuff into the compost now.B次元官网网址�

The program, which officially started Monday with dual waste pickups by city sanitation crews, is projected to from the Hartland landfill each year.

And it goes beyond the raw vegetables, fruit and eggshells used in backyard composting.

Raw and cooked meat, fish, bones, bread, pizza B次元官网网址� even soiled paper products such as napkins and paper towels B次元官网网址� will be accepted in the new green bins now in place at more than 14,000 Victoria homes.

Ed Robertson, assistant director of public works, expects a few hiccups in the early weeks of the program, as crews familiarize themselves with new trucks, routes and schedules.

B次元官网网址淵ou can plan this for years, but until you actually flip the switch, you donB次元官网网址檛 know whatB次元官网网址檚 going to happen,B次元官网网址� he said.

The city will also need to figure out how itB次元官网网址檚 going to separate food scraps from the hundreds of public street bins before the Capital Regional District begins penalizing haulers for such waste in January 2014.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a phase we havenB次元官网网址檛 talked about yet,B次元官网网址� Robertson said.

The majority of businesses and apartment dwellers that rely on private haulers will need to comply with CRD guidelines as well.

B次元官网网址淎 year from now, if the garbage we pick up has food, we will be fined by the CRD and weB次元官网网址檒l have to pass that on to our customers,B次元官网网址� said Ann Chabert, manager with Waste Management.

The companyB次元官网网址檚 single organic waste truck hauls to Foundation Organics and Vantreight Farms in Saanich, but increasing demand means more processing facilities will need to be found, she said.

ReFUSE owner Jason Adams has been providing to businesses such as the Fairmont Empress Hotel and Royal Roads University since 2002.

He isnB次元官网网址檛 worried about losing customers to the cityB次元官网网址檚 kitchen scraps program, as ReFUSE provides added services such as bin cleaning and more frequent pick-up.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 been pretty important for the success at the restaurants, where health and safety is a big thing,B次元官网网址� he said.

Residents with green bins will be given a grace period to get it right, after which the city will begin issuing warnings if kitchen scraps are discovered in garbage bins.

View Royal already operates a full kitchen scraps program through a private company. Saanich, which ran a three-month pilot program last year, is moving toward full organics recycling, while Oak Bay continues to run a limited pilot program.

All Capital Region municipalities must implement a kitchen scraps recycling program by January 2015 to meet the CRDB次元官网网址檚 overall goal of diverting 70 per cent of waste from Hartland landfill.

City of Victoria workers will no longer return empty bins to backyards, but will continue to provide its B次元官网网址淗elping HandB次元官网网址� service for people with mobility challenges. Call 250-361-0448 for more information.

For more details about the kitchen waste program, visit victoria.ca/greenbin.

dpalmer@vicnews.com