Sort it right this fall season!
With Autumn in full swing, you may have some extra materials to dispose of soon, such as aluminum cooking trays, napkins, pumpkins and more. The City of Vaughan is here to provide waste sorting information you can use to help you on collection days.
Aluminum trays, black plastic containers and cutlery
Empty and rinsed aluminum trays can be disposed of in the blue box – be sure to wash away food residue. Grease, oils and turkey fat go in your green bin, never down the drain. Black plastic cannot be recycled in York Region and must go in the garbage – this includes black plastic forks, knives, spoons and containers often used for takeout meals.
Paper plates, paper towels and napkins
Paper plates, paper towels and napkins go in the green bin. Using your green bin is easy! Place your items in compostable bags if you can, but plastic bags are accepted. Bag and tie securely and ensure green bins set out to the curb weigh less than 20.5 kilograms (45 pounds).
Pumpkins, cornstalks and straw
Pumpkins, cornstalks and straw are to be placed out with leaf and yard waste. As a reminder, the City’s weekly leaf and yard waste collection is coming back starting the week of Tuesday, Oct. 18!
Leaf and yard waste must be placed in Kraft paper bags or open-top rigid containers with handles, up to 121 litres (32 gallons) in size, and clearly marked “Leaf and Yard Waste.” Plastic bags are not permitted. Kraft paper bags must be kept dry – degraded bags will not be picked up as they will break during collection. If you hired a company for lawn care services, ensure they are notified of these collection requirements. Visit the City’s leaf and yard waste webpage for more information.
Leftover food
Wasted food makes up an increasing amount of garbage and can cost households a lot of money each year. Let’s work together to reduce food waste this holiday season and beyond by placing food scraps in your green bin. Consider saving your leftover food by freezing it, repurposing it for another meal or giving it to family or friends.
You can also place fruit and vegetable peels in a backyard composter. The City sells backyard composters with instructions on how to successfully turn your fruit and vegetable scraps and leaves into garden fertilizer. By setting up a composter, you can produce free fertilizer that will improve the quality of your soil and the plants growing in it, and you will be helping to reduce waste set out for curbside collection. To purchase one from the City, visit vaughan.ca/ServiceVaughan. You can also purchase City-branded blue boxes and green bins through Service Vaughan and get them delivered right to your door.
Are you still unsure where to properly dispose of an item? 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 check 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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