9 Common Household Items and How to Recycle Them in Toronto
How to recycle certain kinds of household waste in Toronto is not always so clear. Though paper and soda bottles are pretty straightforward in what’s required to recycle them, there seems to be confusion among some Torontonians on what is recyclable and what isn’t here in the City. There are some items you might expect to be recyclable when in fact they’re not. Here’s a quick rundown of popular household items that may or may not be recyclable.
Styrofoam = non-recyclable (sort of)
Styrofoam can come in two different grades. There’s the foam cushion and food packaging kind, and then there’s the blue or pink insulation board kind. The foam cushion and food packaging type can be recycled while the other kind cannot. That said, the process to recycle this kind of styrofoam can be somewhat intensive. The lack of accessibility to styrofoam recycling processes is why it’s a common source of criticism among environmental activists.
Yard and lawn by-products = non-recyclable
Lawn trimmings and yard by-products surprisingly are not recyclable. They need to be carefully recycled as they can actually contaminate recycling, causing more waste to be sent to the landfill than is necessary.
Fluorescent light bulbs = non-recyclable
Fluorescent light bulbs cannot be recycled nor disposed of at the landfill. They are technically classified as a non-recyclable and need to be carefully processed.
Paint cans = non-recyclable
Paint empties of any kind are non-recyclable and cannot be thrown out with the regular trash either. Paint cans and any paint-related products must be provide to paint disposal companies or facilities. This is the safest and recommended way to dispose of these.
Prescription medications = non-recyclable
If you have any prescription medications in your home that need to go, do not throw them out in the regular garbage or flush them down the toilet. Instead, bring them to your pharmacy.
Cardboard = recyclable
Cardboard is recyclable in Toronto. Even boxes that have been stained such as in the case of a pizza box can potentially be recycled. The unfortunate thing about cardboard is that many sorts of liquid or food contamination can completely ruin their recyclability. Cardboard is commonly reused in the form of pulp before becoming new cardboard or similar materials.
Scrap metal = recyclable
If you have scrap metal laying around the garage or the home, it’s not garbage. In fact, scrap metal can be melted down and reused in other metal products quite easily. Scrap metal is a product made for recycling.
Mattresses and box springs = non-recyclable
Though there are materials in mattresses and box springs that could be recycled, these sleeping products are not inherently marketed as recyclable. Torontonians looking to get rid of their mattress will eventually be sending it to the landfill.
Batteries = recyclable (sort of)
Standard household batteries, most lead batteries, and most acid car batteries will need to be taken to the landfill or collected along with hazardous materials. After they have arrived at the correct facility however, most batteries can actually be recycled. For car batteries, if there’s a disposal service provided at your local mechanic, we recommend using it to save on the trip.
We take waste disposal very seriously at Core Mini Bins. If you have any questions related to waste management, recycling, or junk removal, don’t hesitate to give us a call to speak with a representative.
