Be a good neighbour!

Take mail home, report litter and pick up after your dogs

Part of what makes Vaughan a city of choice is the residents who take pride in protecting the environment and fostering a more sustainable future. Great neighbours make our city a safe, friendly and attractive place to live, work and visit. 

Whether you are new to Vaughan or a longtime resident, there are many simple steps you can take to be a good neighbour! 

When you’re in the community:

• Take mail home with you. When you head to your community mailbox, take any recycling or admail home with you. Please note: community mailboxes belong to, and are maintained by, Canada Post – this includes addressing litter, snow and damage to the mailboxes. If you spot litter or vandalism at your community mailbox, submit a service request to Canada Post. You can also contact them by telephone at 1-866-607-6301 or on social media through X (formerly known as Twitter) or Facebook.
• Report littering and illegal dumping. Littering and illegal dumping are prohibited under the City of Vaughan’s Dumping By-law 103-2020 (PDF). If you witness either of these actions, report it to Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or service@vaughan.ca.
• Use the right bins. While outside, place your waste in the nearest garbage, blue box or green bin. Be sure to use the right one! If the bins are full, take your garbage home.

• Bag and bin pet waste. When walking outside with your pets, clean up after them and use the waste bins provided. If the bins are full, take your pet waste home and put it in your green bin. The fine for failing to pick up after your pet is $200. To report pet waste on public property, call 905-832-2281 or email service@vaughan.ca.

• Report full or overfilled public waste bins. If you notice full or overflowing bins around the community, report it to Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or service@vaughan.ca. Doing so will generate a service request for staff to action in priority sequence. 

When you’re at home:

• Maintain your lawn. Grass and weeds must be less than 20 centimetres (eight inches) tall, according to the City’s Long Grass and Weeds By-law 125-2022 (PDF).

  • Trees and hedges must be trimmed to avoid overgrowth that may affect safety and visibility for road users or block people from using the sidewalk.

  • Yards must be free and clear of all garbage, brush, waste, litter, trade waste and other debris, construction bins (unless actively being used), machinery and open excavations.

• Do not overfill your blue box. Leave space 7.5 centimetres (three inches) at the top of the box. Flatten items, such as cardboard, and pack them in the blue box carefully. Put heavier items, such as glass jars, on top of lighter ones, such as paper and plastic containers. 

• Collect and bag fallen leaves. Leaf and yard waste will continue bi-weekly on your regularly scheduled collection day until the week of Oct. 17, when weekly collection will begin.
• Do not store items on the boulevard. This includes landscaping features such as inflatables, decorative lights, fencing, sports nets, decorative stones, pots, bird baths, furniture and more, as stated in the City’s Encroachment By-law 034-2017 (PDF). These items should not be within 30 centimetres (12 inches) of a sidewalk or one metre (3 feet) of a street curb.

To read more about the City’s commitment to protecting and respecting the environment, and fostering a sustainable community today and for future generations, visit vaughan.ca/litter.

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