Put holiday waste in the right place!

As you pack up your holiday decorations, you may wonder where to dispose of some items, such as broken glass, old electronics and real Christmas trees. The City of Vaughan has tips and reminders to help you start the year off right and put waste in the right place!

Broken glass 

If you have broken glass from ornaments, glassware or décor, safely package the pieces in a sealed cardboard box labelled “broken glass” and place it at the curb on your scheduled garbage collection day. Doing this helps waste collectors stay safe when picking up your waste. 

Old electronics

If you received upgraded electronics this holiday season, you may be looking to dispose of old ones. E-waste (electronic waste) – such as cellphones, computers, televisions, headphones, printers, video game consoles and more – can be safely disposed of at a York Region waste depot. Never place e-waste or batteries in the garbage or blue box. 

Here are more environmentally friendly options for getting rid of your e-waste:

• Donate gently used or old but in good working condition electronics to friends and family, a local charity or a second-hand shop. 
• Visit recyclemyelectronics.ca to search for your nearest retail recycling location. 

Real Christmas trees

During the first two weeks of January, the City will collect real Christmas trees in both blue and yellow zones on your scheduled collection day. Artificial trees are collected as garbage and must be bagged. 

For the safety of the City’s waste collectors, keep these tips in mind:

• Do not place your real Christmas tree in a tree bag or plastic bag. 
• Remove all decorations (including tinsel and ornaments) and stands from trees before collection.
• Ensure your tree is less than two metres (seven feet) in height. Cut the tree in half if it exceeds this height. 
• Do not place trees on the road, on top of or behind snowbanks.

Real Christmas trees can also be dropped off at a York Region waste depot that accepts yard waste (fees will apply). Visit york.ca/WasteDepots for more information. 

If you have leftover leaf and yard waste, you can also place them curbside during Christmas tree collection.

Double-Up Days

Double-Up Days take place during the weeks of Jan. 2 or Jan. 9, 2024, depending on your scheduled collection day. This means that instead of a three-item garbage limit, you can place up to six items at the curb with no paid garbage tags required.

Large or bulky items, such as mattresses, chairs and tables, can be placed curbside, and each piece counts as one item toward the six-item limit. Read the guidelines for setting out large or bulky items for more details. The City also picks up toilets curbside. Two-piece toilets must be disassembled to be collected. Watch this short video on how to disassemble a two-piece toilet. 

Remember to place all items curbside by 7 a.m. on your scheduled collection day.

What goes where?

Do you have other items to dispose of but aren’t sure where they belong? Check by using the City’s online ‘What Goes Where?’ sorting tool. You can also download the Recycle Coach app through the Apple App Store or Google Play to confirm where waste items belong. The app provides waste-less tips and a personalized collection schedule with optional alerts on what to put to the curb each week. 

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

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