Put your best waste forward!
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Everything to know about garbage, recycling and organics
Confused about how to dispose of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)? What about paper towels, black plastic and paper coffee cups? The City of Vaughan is here to help clarify what item goes where so waste collection days run smoothly for both residents and waste collectors.
These waste disposal tips will help you properly and easily dispose of your items.
What goes in the blue box?
The following items are recyclable:
- Plastic bottles, jug 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
The following items are not recyclable:
- Wipes, masks and gloves
- Styrofoam™
- Black plastic
- Plastic bags and bagged recycling
- Paper coffee cups and plastic pods
- Food pouches
- Clothing
- Toys
- Hoses
- Hangers
When putting items in a blue box, it’s important to rinse out food containers such as soup cans, yogurt containers, pop bottles, jam jars and more, to ensure they can be recycled. If the item contains food or food residue, it cannot be recycled and is sent to landfill for disposal. The waste facility is unable to wash and clean recyclables.
Reminder: Masks, gloves and other PPE should be placed in the garbage. Tissues and paper towels go in the green bin.
Leaf and yard waste
Residents can still throw away leaves, pumpkins and cornstalks. Leaf and yard waste should be placed in Kraft paper bags or designated open-top rigid containers such as a regulation-sized garbage containers marked “Leaf and Yard Waste.”
Acceptable leaf and yard waste materials include:
- plant material (soil removed), leaves, branches, twigs, pumpkins, straw and cornstalks
- branches, twigs and cuttings that are tied in secure bundles and less than 1.5 metres (five feet) in length and 0.6 metres (two feet) in diameter, weighing less than 20.5 kilograms (45 pounds)
- individual branches that are less than 10 centimetres (four inches) in diameter, bundled securely
Materials that do not belong in leaf and yard waste include:
- any leaf and yard waste material set out in a container other than an acceptable container
- any container or bundle weighing more than 20.5 kilograms (45 pounds)
- branches, twigs and cuttings that are not tied, not in secure bundles and not longer than 1.5 metres (five feet) and 0.6 metres (two feet) in diameter
- individual branches exceeding 10 centimetres (four inches) in diameter
- stumps and root balls
- any leaf and yard waste material contaminated with household waste or non-leaf and yard waste such as green bin organics
- any set out that contains sod, soil, rocks or stones (contact York Region for rock and stone disposal options)
Remember, leaf and yard waste collection occurs weekly in the fall until Friday, Dec. 11. Waste should 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. Check the 2020 Waste Collection Schedule to know what days to put waste to the curb.
To make waste collection information even more convenient in the new year, the City of Vaughan’s 2021 redesigned waste calendar will be released in December. The new and improved schedule provides a more concise format and offers a year at a glance, allowing readers to quickly reference important weekly information such as pickup schedules.
For personalized waste collection reminders, download the Recycle Coach app at the App Store or on Google Play. Continue to check vaughan.ca/waste and vaughan.ca/COVID19 for updates and changes to service levels and schedules.
Safe waste handling
Citizens should continue to practice good infection prevention and control when handling any waste by washing their hands and any surfaces it has contacted.
The following steps should be taken when handling waste:
- Carefully bag all garbage and green bin materials.
- If anyone in a household is ill, place any item that has contacted the mouth, nose or eyes into the garbage. This includes items that would normally be placed into the green bin (tissues, napkins) or blue box (water/beverage bottles and pop cans).
- Do not flush any disinfectant wipes or baby wipes down the toilet as they can damage household plumbing and cause sewer blockages and backups.
The City’s waste collection contractor, Miller Waste Systems Inc., continues to use the recommended PPE to protect workers from hazards they may encounter while handling residential waste bags and bins. The City also urges citizens to do their part and help protect collection staff by safely handling their waste and bins and refraining from approaching the waste collectors as they perform their work.
Blue box and green bin exchange program
In response to COVID-19, the Joint Operations Centre is closed to the public until further notice. As a result, the City is offering a temporary bin exchange program by home delivery, which allows residents to replace broken City-issued blue and green bins that have the City logo through home delivery. To request an exchange and arrange a delivery, call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or email accessvaughan@vaughan.ca. Visit vaughan.ca/waste for more information.
Garbage tags
Garbage tags can be purchased over the telephone through the Access Vaughan Call Centre at 905-832-2281 or through Service Vaughan. Tags will be mailed to residents’ locations through Canada Post, and payment can be made through Visa, MasterCard and American Express over the phone or online.
Waste-less Virtual Visits
Have too much garbage? Residents of Vaughan can request a Waste-less Virtual Visit and connect directly with City staff using video conferencing apps like Zoom and Skype. This program offers personalized coaching on how to divert more material to the blue box and green bin, which have no set out limits, and helps put valuable materials to reuse. Book your 20-minute appointment today by calling Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or emailing accessvaughan@vaughan.ca.
For more information about City matters, please call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or visit vaughan.ca. 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.
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