Don’t wish – be sure!

Garbage, green bins and blue boxes – it may get confusing to figure out what items go where. Don’t worry! The City of Vaughan provides many tips and online tools to help you know for sure what bins your materials belong in.

You may think your items are recyclable, but are you “wish-cycling?” That is when you place items in the blue box without the certainty they can be recycled in Vaughan. Wish-cycling can cause problems for the recycling process if items are not sorted correctly.

Common recycling contaminants

Properly sorting your waste items also helps to keep collection days running smoothly. Here are some common blue box contaminants and details on which bin they belong in:

• Styrofoam™: Styrofoam™ is not recyclable in Vaughan and must go in the garbage.
• Coffee cups: disposable coffee cups are often lined with plastic or wax, so they cannot be recycled. Place these in the garbage.
• Black plastic: black plastic, including takeout trays, forks, knives, spoons and containers, are not recyclable and belong in the garbage.
• Tissues, paper towels and napkins: all of these items, even used, can go in the green bin.

The City has many tools and initiatives to assist residents when sorting their waste, including the online ‘What Goes Where?’ sorting tool, Recycle Coach app, Waste-less Virtual Visits and Double-Up Days.

What Goes Where?

Use the online ‘What Goes Where?’ sorting tool to quickly and easily check where a waste item belongs by using the search bar.

Recycle Coach app

Download the waste reduction app, Recycle Coach, through the Apple App Store or Google Play to check where a waste item belongs. The app provides waste-less tips and a personalized collection schedule with optional alerts on what to put to the curb each week. All materials must be set out by 7 a.m. on collection day. Crews will not return for a missed collection.

Waste-less Virtual Visits

City staff offer one-on-one Waste-less Virtual Visit sessions – via FaceTime, WhatsApp and Zoom – to help citizens understand how to properly sort items, reduce the impact on landfills, and answer any questions related to the City’s waste collection program. To book a free 20-minute appointment, contact Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or accessvaughan@vaughan.ca.

Need a new blue box or green bin? You can purchase blue boxes and green bins in person at select community centres. All Vaughan community centres are cashless facilities; acceptable payment options include debit, credit and cheque. Alternatively, purchase these items online through Service Vaughan and have them delivered right to your door. You can also sign up to exchange a broken City-issued blue box or green bin for a new one at vaughan.ca/ServiceVaughan.

For more information on waste services in Vaughan, visit vaughan.ca/waste.

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