Keep our parks clean
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Proper waste-disposal etiquette makes a big difference
Get rid of litter to help Vaughan glitter! During the warmer
months, you may want to exercise or walk your pet at one of the City’s many
beautiful parks and trails, but spending time outside isn’t fun when litter is scattered
everywhere. The City of Vaughan reminds you that everyone has a role to play in
keeping Vaughan clean by putting your trash where it belongs.
When
visiting Vaughan’s parks or trails, remember to use the recycling and waste
bins provided by the City in public spaces. If they are full, take your garbage
home with you, including pet waste. Picking up after your pets is not just the
neighbourly thing to do – it’s the law.
For the
safety and well-being of everyone in the community, including front-line staff,
littering and illegal dumping are prohibited under the Littering and Dumping
By-law 103-2020
(PDF). If you witness illegal dumping or littering, please report it to Access
Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or accessvaughan@vaughan.ca. Individuals found dumping
their household garbage are subject to a maximum fine of $5,000 per offence.
Putting
the correct items in your blue box also makes a difference in keeping the
community clean. Here are some tips to ensure materials end up and stay in the recycling
bin:
- Leave space (three inches) at the top of the blue box. Do not overfill it to avoid litter on windy days.
- Purchase additional blue boxes or use a larger blue box (up to 121 litres, no lids or wheels) if you have too much material.
- Put heavier items on top of lighter ones.
- Flatten and bundle large cardboard boxes with twine or string.
- Cut large carboard boxes to fit within your blue box.
- Consider putting the recycling out the following week on windy days.
- Take blue boxes in as soon as possible after collection to prevent the empty box from blowing away.
Waste should be placed at the curb no earlier than
6 p.m. the night before collection and no later than 7 a.m. the day of
collection.
Properly
sorting and disposing of your waste helps keep Vaughan clean and collection
days running smoothly. Unsure what waste items can go in the blue box?
Below
are examples of items that are recyclable in Vaughan:
- plastic bottles, jugs and containers
- milk/juice cartons and drink boxes (no straws)
- steel/aluminum food and beverage cans, trays, plates and foil
- empty paint and aerosol cans (lids removed)
- unbroken glass bottles and jars
- household paper and paper products (books, magazines, etc.)
- cardboard, broken down and flattened containers (detergent, dry food boxes, etc.)
- corrugated cardboard
Tissues,
paper towels and napkins go in the green bin. Personal protective equipment
belongs in the garbage – that includes all masks and gloves. Waste
collectors will not pick up blue boxes with these items. Front-line workers at
York Region’s Materials Recovery Facility sort blue box materials by hand; when
these items are put in with recycling, it places workers in direct contact with
materials potentially contaminated with COVID-19.
If you
are still unsure, the City offers an online sorting tool to help you understand
what waste items go where. The Recycle Coach app for mobile phones is also available
for download. The app provides waste-less tips and a personalized waste
schedule with optional alerts on what to put to the curb each week.
Download
the 2021 Waste Collection Schedule (PDF) to learn
about Double-Up Days, leaf and yard waste collection and other important tips for
curbside collection. For more information about waste and litter in Vaughan,
visit vaughan.ca/waste.
To
receive the City’s latest COVID-19 updates as they happen, sign up for the City
Update eNewsletter at vaughan.ca/CityUpdate and follow the City’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram channels.
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