Looking to get rid of old furniture?

You may be doing a home refresh, buying new furniture or kicking some old items to the curb – literally! The City of Vaughan is reminding everyone of the proper ways to dispose of large and bulky household items, such as toilets, mattresses and chairs.

To help keep waste collectors safe during collection days, follow these helpful tips to ensure your large and bulky items are picked up:

• Large items such as toilets, sofas, chairs and mattresses are counted toward the three-item limit and are collected on your regularly scheduled garbage collection days. Ensure items do not exceed 68 kilograms (150 pounds). The City reserves the right to refuse unsafe, overweight or oversized items.
• Furniture such as chairs, tables and bookshelves must be free of hazards (for example, protruding nails) and if disassembled, must be safely secured together. The bundle cannot exceed 20 kilograms (45 pounds).
• Sofa beds must have the mattress removed and the mechanism securely tied to the frame to prevent it from opening during collection.
• Do not place items out when rain is in the forecast. Items must be kept dry – this reduces the weight for collection crews to pick up.
• Carpeting must be bundled and cannot weigh more than 18 kilograms (40 pounds) and must be no longer than 1.2 metres (four feet).
• Toilet tanks must be separated from the bowl for all two-piece toilets. The toilet should not be placed in a cardboard box, unless there are broken pieces.
• Construction materials, including windows, lumber and other renovation materials cannot be collected curbside. These items are accepted at York Region’s Community Environmental Centres. The Vaughan location is at 130 McCleary Crt. Fees will apply.

Waste must be placed at the curb no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before collection and no later than 7 a.m. on the day of collection. If your items are in good condition, consider donating them to families in need or a local charitable organization.

Remember, stormwater ponds are not a dumping ground for your old furniture. Many large and bulky items can also be delivered to any of York Region’s Community Environmental Centres. Fees will apply. The Vaughan location is at 130 McCleary Crt.

Residential appliance and metal pickup

Are you looking to dispose of appliances or large metal items, such as dishwashers, air conditioners and refrigerators? The City collects these items by appointment only on Thursdays. Book an appointment and make a payment through Service Vaughan or call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281. For more information, visit the City’s Appliance and Metal Pickup webpage.

If you’re unsure about where a waste item belongs, download the City’s Recycle Coach App through the Apple App Store or Google Play for information on sorting your items. The app provides waste-less tips and a personalized collection schedule with optional alerts on what is permitted to put to the curb each week. The City also offers an online sorting tool so you can quickly and easily check what item goes where using the search bar.

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

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