Important Issues : Waste Collection
For all waste collection inquiries, you can reach the Solid Waste Division at 416-338-2010
Garbage & Recycling
Solid Waste Management Services handles the transfer and disposal of your garbage as well as the processing and sale of recyclable materials collected through the blue box program. Solid Waste Management Services also coordinates a variety of 3Rs programs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) to help residents and business reduce their production of waste.
For a collection calendar click here.
New blue bins and gray bins for recycling and garbage are being delivered to residents in 2008
City Council has approved a new plan to achieve the City’s new waste diversion goal of diverting 70 per cent of waste from landfill by 2010.
A key feature of the plan includes delivering new Blue Bins and Garbage Bins, which will replace current blue/grey boxes and garbage bags/cans, to all single-family households in 2008. Residents will receive an order card in the mail and can select which size bin is appropriate for their family's needs.
Once the intial deliveries are completed, residents are entitled to one free exchange if they decide they picked or received a size that isn't right for them. Some Ward 18 residents also have very small property sizes and are having problems finding a place to store their bins. Residents in this situation can request a site visit from our mobile team who will make an appointment to come to your home and work with you to identify a customized waste solution for your home.
This plan also includes a new funding system with a new volume-based rate structure, to pay for the required additional programs and services. The fees for the new garbage bins will appear on residents water bill once all bin deliveries around the city have been completed, which is expected to be by 1 November 2008. Recycling and composting remain free residents, so to save money, we encourage residents to order the smaller sized gray bins, and take advantage of the larger recycling and composting bins to make up the difference and help the city reach its 70 per cent target.
To learn more about this program, order bins, request exchanges or site vists, please call 416-392-BINS or click here.
Go ahead and mix recycling materials together!
No sorting required. Residents in single family homes can put their recyclables in their blue or grey box - all mixed together! Just leave the recycle boxes at the curb on collection day and we\'ll sort the recyclables at our new recycling facilities.
Composting
Compost is the end product of a natural process that reduces organic waste to humus. Compost contains a good range of major and minor plant nutrients, trace elements essential for healthy plant growth, as well as soil microbes and organic fibre for building healthy soil. Unlike chemical fertilizers, compost has a built-in time release mechanism, which chemical fertilizer manufacturers try to duplicate. Composting is the process that produces the compost.
Composting helps reduce garbage output by over 30 per cent. Imagine one third less garbage to lug to the curb or bin for collection! Not to mention decreasing the amount of material that we mistakenly label as waste that requires landfill disposal. Composting is a cheap and easy way to reduce waste!
We must increase diversion of organic materials to achieve the City of Toronto's diversion targets of 70 per cent by 2010.
Household Hazardous Waste
Paints, pesticides, propane tanks, batteries, syringes, used motor oil and many cleaning products are just some examples of household hazardous wastes, that are used daily by residents. These items contain toxic ingredients and should be used and disposed of with caution. Do not place out for regular garbage pick-up. Please do not pour motor oil, paints or solvents down your drain or into sewers.
Household Hazardous Waste WILL NOT be collected with your garbage or recyclables.
Used motor oil can be taken to used oil drop-off centres. The Toxics Taxi provides free pick-up of HHW from residents of Toronto with a minimum quantity of 10 litres and maximum quantity of 50 litres. You must be at home for the pick-up. Call 416-392-4330 for the Toxics Taxi.
There are HHW depots in various locations across Toronto, so first check if there\'s one conveniently located to you for drop-off/reuse.
Commercial Collection
The Yellow Bag program ¡V launched in September 2002 -- is a waste management initiative that encourages Toronto¡¦s commercial customers to decrease garbage while increasing recycling and organics collection.
Commercial customers eligible for City garbage collection place garbage in special yellow bags for pick-up. The bags, available at all Home Hardware Toronto locations, cost $3.10 each. This covers the cost of collection and disposal of garbage. Customers using carts or bulk bins instead of bags for garbage pre-pay a collection fee. The City does collect recyclable materials and organics from businesses at no extra cost.
Recently, the City issued a newly designed yellow bag to help commercial customers continue reducing garbage. The result: a more durable bag that ¡s stronger at the seams.
The new bag also has a distinctive new design. The bag now has two rows of TORONTO logos with text on the front and back. Other security features have also been added.
The City will collect the remaining stock of existing yellow bags until supplies run out and yellow tags are still available for bulky item collection.
Thanks to our commercial customers, the yellow bag program is making a difference in meeting the City¡¦s waste diversion goals.
Why did the City start the Yellow Bag Program?
The Yellow Bag Program has four goals:
- to reduce garbage and to increase recycling and organic collection
- to create a harmonized, fair service for businesses across the City and
- to assist with the costs of garbage collection and disposal, and
- to clean up the city\'s commercial streets.
To locate the Home Hardware store nearest you, and for store hours, please consult the business listings in the Toronto telephone directory or call 416-783-6119.
Since the City-owned Keele Valley landfill site closed on December 31, 2002, all the City\'s garbage is trucked to a private landfill in Michigan. Closing Toronto\'s landfill site increased disposal costs by more than 300 per cent. Additionally, the City is vulnerable to service interruption if, for any reason the truck traffic to the landfill is interrupted.
Most importantly, the City has an obligation to send as little of its waste to other cities and towns as possible. This can be accomplished by diverting as much recyclable material and organics from the garbage as possible. Businesses can minimize garbage collection costs by diverting recyclable materials and/or organics from the garbage stream.
There is a wide disparity in the demand for the City\'s services. Some businesses previously cost the City up to $100,000 / year due to the amount of waste they generate, while others cost the City a few hundred dollars per year. Also, with the amalgamation of the six former municipalities that provided different services according to different criteria, the access to City service varied greatly across the City. The program was designed to harmonize the commercial waste services and make them fair.
History
On March 7, 2002, City Council approved The Yellow Bag Program. The City developed this new policy incorporating feedback from current customers and Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) -- received through public meetings, discussion groups and more than 1,500 completed surveys -- about service areas, collection frequency and service fees. Based on public input, the City is offering collection of both recyclable materials and organics at no charge at a base frequency. This provides the opportunity to significantly reduce garbage collection fees while increasing diversion.
Questions?
Got a question about the new Yellow Bag Program? Want to request an application form? Need more information? Want to order a bin? Just give us a call or email:
City Council has approved a new plan to achieve the City’s new waste diversion goal of diverting 70 per cent of waste from landfill by 2010. This plan includes a new funding system with a new volume-based rate structure, to pay for the required additional programs and services. A key feature of the plan includes delivering new Blue Bins and Garbage Bins, which will replace current blue/grey boxes and garbage bags/cans, to all single-family households in 2008.
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