Waste service reminder for Canada Day

June 24, 2021 3:00 p.m.

Learn about holiday schedule changes, collection tips and what goes where

As you prepare for the Canada Day holiday on Thursday, July 1, the City of Vaughan is reminding everyone about the changes coming to curbside waste collection. 

If your regular waste collection day is on Thursday, July 1 or Friday, July 2, it will be moved one day later; those with collection on Thursday will be moved to Friday and those with collection on Friday will be moved to Saturday. Waste should be placed at the curb no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before and no later than 7 a.m. the day of collection. For the complete schedule, visit vaughan.ca/WasteCalendar. 

You can register online at any time to purchase garbage tags, blue boxes and green bins and exchange damaged or broken City-branded bins through Service Vaughan. 

What goes where? 

Properly sorting your waste not only helps to reduce litter in the city, but it also keeps collection days running smoothly. Unsure what waste items go where?

Below are examples of items that go in the blue box (recycling):

  • plastic bottles, jugs 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

Items that go in the green bin (organics):

  • all food and food scraps
  • food-soiled paper products such as tissues, napkins, paper towels and plates
  • cut flowers and house plants

Items that go in the garbage:

  • wipes, masks and gloves
  • Styrofoam™
  • black plastic
  • plastic bags
  • coffee cups and coffee pods
  • food pouches

Reminder: Masks, gloves and other personal protective equipment (PPE) must be placed in the garbage, not the blue box. Tissues, napkins and paper towels go in the green bin. All wipes belong in the garbage.

When putting items in the blue box, it’s important to rinse them. Everyday food items, such as soup cans, yogurt containers, pop bottles, jam jars and more, must be rinsed to ensure they do not contaminate other clean recyclables. If an item contains food or food residue, it cannot be recycled and is sent to the landfill for disposal. The waste facility is unable to wash and clean recyclables.

Still unsure where an item belongs? Download the City’s Recycle Coach App through the Apple App Store or Google Play to help determine what goes where. The app also 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 check where an item belongs using the search bar.

Leaf and yard waste collection

Leaf and yard waste collection is every other week until the week of Oct. 15. Leaf and yard 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.

The following items are acceptable for leaf and yard waste collection:

  • Plant material (soil removed), leaves, branches and twigs
  • Any container or bundle weighing less than 20.5 kilograms (45 pounds)
  • 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
  • Individual branches that are less than 10 centimetres (four inches) in diameter and bundled securely

For information on accepted containers and materials, visit the City’s leaf and yard waste webpage.

Residential appliance and metal pickup

Are you looking to dispose of appliances or large metal items? The City collects these items by appointment only on Thursdays. Book an appointment and payment through Service Vaughan or call Access Vaughan at 905-832-2281. For more information, visit the City’s Appliance and Metal Pickup webpage.

To learn more about other waste services provided by the City, visit vaughan.ca/waste.

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 or follow the City’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn channels. 

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