Think before you toss!

Learn where to dispose of plastic bottles, coffee cups and other single-use to-go items

If you’re grabbing a coffee to go or bringing a plastic water bottle on your neighbourhood walk, remember to think before you toss. Single-use items like those often end up as litter in our parks, trails, ponds and rivers, which is harmful to the environment and wildlife.

Be sure to safely dispose of these items to reduce litter and make a positive difference for our community and the planet. Here’s what goes where:

• Coffee cups, pods and straws: Even if they are made of paper, coffee cups do not go in the blue box; since these items are often lined with plastic or wax, they cannot be recycled. Place coffee cups, coffee pods, plastic straws and bags in the garbage.
• Styrofoam™: This material cannot be recycled in Vaughan or York Region. Styrofoam™ – including takeout containers, cups, packaging peanuts and meat trays – belongs in the garbage.
• Black plastic: Black plastic forks, knives, spoons and containers belong in the garbage – not the blue box.
• Plastic cutlery and containers: Place all non-black plastic cutlery, bottles and containers in the blue box. Ensure all items are loose and rinsed of food residue.

Note: disposable cutlery and takeout containers labelled ‘compostable’ are actually not recyclable nor compostable in Vaughan. Place them in the garbage instead.

Go one step further to champion sustainability by limiting the number of single-use items in your daily life! For example, drink from reusable water bottles and travel mugs, and carry reusable straws and cutlery when dining out or on the go. For more ways to reduce your waste, visit Vaughan’s Waste Reduction Commitment webpage.

To report littering or dumping in the community, contact Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or service@vaughan.ca.

Wind-blown litter

Another way to prevent litter is by packing your blue box right! On windy days, your recyclables can blow out onto sidewalks and roads if they are incorrectly placed in your blue box.

To avoid this problem and keep Vaughan litter-free, follow these tips from the City of Vaughan:

• Do not overfill your blue box. Leave space (7.5 centimetres or three inches) at the top of the box.
• Place heavier items, such as glass bottles and jars, on top of lighter ones, such as paper and plastic containers.
• Flatten, cut down and bundle cardboard securely, and pack them in the blue box carefully.
• Purchase additional blue boxes or use a larger blue box (up to 121 litres, no attached lid or wheels) if you have too many materials.
• Consider putting your recycling out the following week if it’s a windy day. The City collects unlimited blue boxes weekly!

For more information on blue boxes and recycling in Vaughan, visit the City’s Blue Box Recycling webpage.

Do you need a new blue box or green bin?

You can purchase blue boxes and green bins online through Service Vaughan and schedule a delivery right to your door. Alternatively, buy blue boxes and green bins at select community centres while supplies last. You can also sign up to exchange a broken City-issued blue box or green bin for a new one through Service Vaughan.

For more information on the City’s waste services, visit vaughan.ca/waste.

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