What Are Recycling Dos and Don’ts in Ontario – Fixing A Waste Problem

Recycle more. Easily said. Tougher done. Recycling’s a great move for our environment and economy. It makes Canada millions every year. Revenues will only increase in the years ahead.

Recycling isn’t perfect in Toronto, Ontario, nor Canada. A number of issues persist. From contamination to underdeveloped markets, it’s not always clear to consumers what the expectation is on what’s recycling and what isn’t.

To do our part, this article is your guide to recycling dos and don’ts in Ontario. In waste management, nothing’s more important than eco-friendly garbage collection and processing. Here’s what you need to know.

DO Buy Recyclables

Any opportunity you have, buy recyclable products. Avoid single-use waste. If it’s recyclable, it potentially can do a lot of good for our community. Recycling saves money, energy in manufacturing, and is the best choice a consumer can make.

DON’T Recycle Broken Glass

Glass is one of the best recycling materials. Glass can be recycled an infinite amount without losing its key characteristics or purity. Unfortunately, any broken glass or light bulbs aren’t considered recycling and are a hazard. Do not include them in with your blue bin recycling.

DO Rinse Bottles and Jars

Any glass jar or bottles that once carried food must be rinsed. A jar of jam is not worth anything recycling-wise until it’s rinsed out. At the processing plant, not having rinsed out the jar, it is rendered either unrecyclable or could potentially contaminate the contents of a bin.

DON’T Throw Away Electronics

Electronics are filled with small quantities of high-value metals. Gold, platinum, silver, copper, palladium, zinc, and tin are all common in computers, smartphones, and other electronics. Although electronics aren’t included in your blue bin, they are still recyclable. They must be dropped off at an electronic waste recycling depot near you.

DON’T Put in Pizza Boxes

Pizza boxes are not recycling. This is grease-stained cardboard. At this point, this means the cardboard’s contaminated. It cannot go into your recycling.

DO Verify Plastics

Waste collection services in Toronto pick up more plastic in garbage bins than it does recycled plastic. Some plastics are recyclable, however, despite the vast majority not being included in recycling. If you are unsure, look it up online. We, as a city, must do better with plastic waste management.

DON’T Sort Your Recycling

Toronto uses single stream recycling. All paper, cardboard, cans, bottles, and everything else is meant to be in one blue bin. The recycling is then separated at the plant. The main thing to be sure of is that no food or food particles are included in your recycling. If food is detected, it contaminates everything in the bin.

DO Recycle Aluminum Cans

Aluminum is a very valuable recycling material. Its purity isn’t affected when it undergoes processing. Aluminum more or less remains the same, and can be recycled again and again. Never throw out a soda can. Always include it in your blue bin recycling.

DON’T Recycle Paper Towel

Purity counts. Paper towel that is wet or stained is contaminated and valueless. Do not include paper towel in with your recycling. It fits into the same category of contamination as cardboard.

DO Recycle All Paper

Newspapers, junk mail, magazines, household paper, envelopes, cardboard, and egg cartons are recyclable. Ensure they get inside the blue bin – not in the waste bin. Unless they’re contaminated, paper is always recyclable. You can leave in any staples, if you must.

DO Leave Lids on Containers

There is no need to remove the cap from a bottle or a lid from a container. Keep everything together, when possible.

Do Flatten Cardboard

This is one of the best recycling tips for businesses. Flatten cardboard. It saves space. You can pack more in. This could also mean fewer pickups and lower costs. This is optional but flattening cardboard will give you more flexibility.

DON’T Put Hazardous Waste in Your Recycling

Hazardous waste doesn’t go into your recycling. It also doesn’t go into your general waste bin. Anything toxic, corrosive, reactive, or with a possibility of igniting is a danger to our waste management and recycling stream. You will have to drop them off at a designated hazardous waste garbage center. Please note, this includes fluorescent light bulbs, any sort of chemical or cleaning fluids, glues and adhesives, paints, automobile fluids, and propane and butane tanks.

DON’T Recycle Plastic Bags

Plastic bags, such as from the grocery store, are meant for single use. They also aren’t a part of recycling. This type of plastic gets caught in sorting machines and clogs it. This can result in inefficiencies, damage, higher costs, and potential contamination. This is why there is strong discouragement against using plastic bags day-to-day. They offer no long-term value in waste management and recycling in Toronto.

DO Sort Organics

Compostable organic waste is given its own bin in Toronto. The green bin program is meant to procure organics in the hopes of keeping them separate from blue bin recycling and general waste.

DON’T Include Food With Recycling

For any food storage containers you are recycling, ensure the food has been emptied and removed in full. If possible, rinse it out like you would a glass jar before depositing it in your blue bin. Food or drink materials of any kind can contaminate an entire load of recycling. This, unfortunately, occurs more often than one might think.

DO Check With the City

Even if something’s recyclable, it doesn’t mean the City of Toronto accepts it as recycling. The recycling industry operates like any marketplace. We must make money off recycling. Some recycling is not valuable enough to do anything with. Therefore, the City doesn’t accept those items. Every municipality tends to work a little differently when it comes to what’s considered recycling.

The rules of recycling in Toronto are always changing. New bans present. Programs expand. Whatever our recycling program looks like in 2030 will not be what it is today in 2020. If you are looking for waste management, recycling, dumpster rentals, mini bin rentals, or garbage collection, Core Mini Bins wants to help. We will do everything in our power to minimize landfill waste and increase your recycling numbers. We believe a zero-waste society in Toronto is possible. In time, we hope to prove our belief correct. Contact Core Mini Bins today.