Are There Items your Local Landfill could refuse to take in Ontario – yes, there is
Surprising to some residents, landfills across Ontario are permitted to enact restrictions on what they are willing to accept and what they won’t. If you are curious as to whether a landfill may accept a certain item, we best recommend calling ahead or hiring a junk removal/waste management firm to do the work for you. Here’s a quick list of some of the items a local landfill may not take.
Mattresses and box springs
Few landfills will accept a mattress or box spring. Why is because a mattress cannot be compressed. That means they take a large amount of space and that’s something most dumps are not willing to give up without reason. In an age when City officials are trying to limit the amount of space waste takes up, it’s not uncommon to see mattresses refused on these grounds. Furthermore, the metal springs found in many mattresses have the potential to clog up machinery and the toxic chemicals found in some mattresses can seep out into ground water.
Prescription medications and medical supplies
No landfill is going to take anything that falls under the banner of hazardous waste. Prescription medications, most medical supplies, and syringes fall into this category. These products are dangerous to animals and harmful to the environment. For this reason, syringes should be put into a puncture proof container prior to disposal at a hazardous waste drop-off site. Medications should also be returned to the pharmacy where they will have the means to dispose of them.
Fridges or freezers
Fridges and freezers are accepted in some landfills and in others, refused. To those who do accept them, they may do so at a fee. Why this is the case is because some fridges contain an ozone-depleting substance known as ‘Freon’, which needs to be removed safely. For landfills with no means of disposing of Freon safely, they may have to refuse accepting these products.
Other appliances
Stoves, air conditioners, hot water heaters, dehumidifiers, and more cannot be thrown out with the garbage. They oftentimes require careful disposal, due to the chemicals involved. Be sure to contact an experienced waste management and junk removal company for assistance.
Ammunition
If you are attempting to dispose of any gun-related ammunition, ensure it’s done properly. Do not bring these to the landfill. Assuming there’s ever a fire or if they get heated up to the right temperature, they can fire off. The best way to get rid of ammunition in Ontario is to call one’s local police department. They should be able to take it off your hands and dispose of it. If they refuse to do, ask them for their recommendation on where to dispose of it. For example, they may suggest bringing them to a local gun range.
Instead of trying to determine what a landfill will and won’t accept, contact a representative at Core Mini Bins. We would be happy to arrange pick-up for whatever waste and items you may have. Fees and removal charges are all laid out plain and simple for you to see. We will take care of the rest and ensure that anything that can be recycled is, in fact, recycled. The remainder of your waste removal collection will be sent to the appropriate parties for safe disposal.
