Shopping Black Friday sales?

As you gear up to do some Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, air-filled packaging, plastic bags, Styrofoam, cardboard boxes and more might start to take up space in your home. Don’t just throw all these materials in any waste bin – follow helpful tips from the City of Vaughan to sort them correctly and ensure collection days are quick and easy.

Garbage: air-filled packaging, plastic bags and Styrofoam

Your online orders might come with air-filled packaging, plastic bags, padded envelopes and bubble mailers, bubble wrap, Styrofoam, or packing peanuts. These items belong in the garbage and cannot be recycled in Vaughan, even if they have the recyclable symbol on them.

Recycling: cardboard boxes and paper bags

Cardboard boxes and paper bags and go in the blue box. Small amounts of shredded paper that may come in online orders can be placed in the green bin.

Need more sorting help?

If you’re still unsure about where a waste item belongs, download the City’s Recycle Coach App through the Apple App Store or Google Play. The app provides waste-less tips and a personalized collection schedule with optional alerts on what 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.

Do you need a new City-issued blue box or green bin?

You can purchase them through Service Vaughan and get them delivered right to your door. View the 2021 Waste Collection Schedule (PDF) online and learn about Double-Up Days, leaf and yard waste collection and other important waste reminders for the year.

Waste less in Vaughan

Before you get swept up in the holiday shopping deals, remember the importance of reducing waste. It’s everyone’s shared responsibility to cut down on waste to protect the environment.

Here are some easy actions to follow to reduce your household waste:

• Purchase fewer, higher quality clothing and household items that will serve a longer purpose.  Consider repurposing textiles as rags to replace paper towels for clean-up around the house. You can also donate gently used clothing and other textiles at a York Region Community Environmental Centre, to a local second-hand store or charitable organization.
• Consider purchasing waste-free gifts for the upcoming holidays, such as event tickets, classes or attractions passes.
• Learn how to make simple repairs to your items instead of buying new ones. Search for online tutorials that provide instructions on repairing textiles and other common household items.
• Borrow books and other items from your local library to reduce waste, clear up space in your home and save money. In partnership with York Region, Vaughan Public Libraries (VPL) has a Lendery at Pierre Berton Resource Library. A Lendery is a library of items you can borrow, like tools, kitchen equipment, sports gear and more. Visit the Lendery at Pierre Berton Resource Library or check out the online catalogue to see the full list of available items.
• View VPL’s Zero Waste reading list of great books on how to adopt waste reduction habits.

For information about waste services in Vaughan, visit vaughan.ca/waste. Citizens can also keep an eye on the City’s social media channels for quick and easy waste sorting tips published bi-weekly on “Waste Less” Mondays!

The City of Vaughan is a municipal leader in waste management. Vaughan’s early commitment to York Region’s SM4RT Living Plan (Waste Management Master Plan) further reinforces the City’s commitment to environmental stewardship. This plan identifies initiatives that set the stage for waste management to 2059 and beyond, focusing on the four Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle and recover – working toward building a circular economy and a “world in which nothing goes to waste.”

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