Ontario Recycles

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

In Canada we started recycling back in the 1980’s. Now over 90% of all households in Canada use some sort of recycling program.

In the city where I live in Ontario, we have to pay per garbage can or bag of garbage put out. Each year the city does however provide 30 garbage tags free of charge. Each additional tag needed can be purchased for $2.00, bought in increments of 5, totaling $10.00. Total weight of the can or bag cannot exceed 44 pounds.The tag is placed on the garbage bag in clear sight.

We recycle using a blue or black box, or large clear plastic bags.

All plastic, glass bottles, jars, and cans can be placed inside the blue box along with milk and juice cartons, clean food cans, empty paint cans, plastic food trays, and clean foil and trays.

For paper products such as newspapers, books, junk mail, flattened cereal boxes, egg cartons, toilet and paper towel rolls, the blue box can be used.

Any Styrofoam, plastic shopping or milk and bread bags can be put in a separate clear bags tied and set out beside the blue box or inside the box if there's sufficient room.

Large cardboard boxes must be broken down, flattened, and tied into bundles. These bundles are not allowed to be any bigger than 48”X 30”X 10”. There is a limit of four bundles per week, and should you need to put out more you are required to attach one garbage tag per bundle.

Green Bin and yard collection waste. There is one green bin per household. Into this bin you may put food waste and table scraps that include; fruits and vegetables, corn cobs and husks, coffee filters and grinds, bread, grains, cereals, nuts, eggs and egg shells, soiled paper towels, house plants and dryer lint.

• For yard waste you can put the following into a green bin: leaves, pumpkins and small branches. There is a weight limit of 44 pounds.
• Christmas trees can be set out on the curb for pickup after Christmas.
• Bundles of large branches must be tied securely, and will be picked up at curbside.
• Large amounts of leaves can be placed into Paper Yard bags or clear plastic bags for pick up.
• Grass clippings must be disposed of at the Waste Diversion Site. There is no charge for this.

Diapers

For the disposal of diapers: These can be placed in a small clear plastic bag, No garbage tag is required.

Hazardous Waste

For disposal of any of the following items you must take them to the hazardous waste depot; oil, oil filters, gas cans, old gas, cans, anti freeze, batteries, aerosol cans, fluorescent bulbs, paint cans, paints and stains, oven cleaner, nail polish, and pesticides. This is free of charge for households.

There are various collection sites where you can recycle at no charge the following electronics:

• Televisions, VCRs, DVD players, Video game consoles
• Stereos and radios
• Computers, monitors, printers, scanners, modems, fax machines
• Photocopiers and printing equipment
• Phones

To find where these collection sites are located you can visit their website at recycleyourelectronics.ca.

Since first writing this article this program has changed. The Electronics Recycling Program will now pay you per pound for any and all electronics you drop off to them.

If you follow all the recycling you may have to purchase a few more tags. In my household there are four people and we may have to buy 5 – 10 extra tags per year. You can purchase extra tags from City Hall, at the Waste Diversion Site and at various convenience stores around the city.