TORONTO: Bad things happen when the wrong items are placed in the Blue Bin. How Bad?Bad enough that it can damage equipment, cause workplace injuries at the recycling facility and ruin otherwise perfectly good recyclables.
Contaminated recycling is currently costing the City millions annually. Approximately 30 per cent of what is put in the Blue Bin doesn’t belong there.
• Put items in loose and not bagged. Use a clear plastic bag only if necessary.
• Prepare containers in 3 easy steps:
1. empty food, liquids or other contents
2. rinse to remove any residue
3. place lid/cap on (including sprayers and pumps)
• Place all black and/or compostable plastic (e.g. food containers, bags, cutlery) in the garbage.
• Flexible multi-layered packaging (e.g. stand-up pouches) and plastic-lined paper (e.g. instant oatmeal packs) go in the garbage. To check if paper is lined with plastic, rip it slowly. If you see any plastic lining, the item goes in the garbage.
• Separate plastic bags/overwrap from newspapers, flyers, magazines, water/soft drink cases. Recycle separately.
• Put shredded paper in a clear plastic bag.
• Put pieces of paper the size of a business card or smaller in an envelope or add to clear bag of shredded paper.
• Put foam pieces smaller than 10 cm (4″) x 10 cm (4″) in the garbage.
• Not all items with a recycling symbol are accepted in Toronto’s Blue Bin recycling program. Items accepted Glass
• Bottles, jars (lids on
• Rigid Plastics
• Food jars, tubs (lids on)
• Clear food containers/clamshells (e.g. from berries, mixed greens)
• Disposable plates, cups
• Beverage bottles (lids on)
• Detergent, soap, shampoo
bottles (lids/sprayers/pumps on)
• Clear CD/DVD cases (empty; black cases are garbage) Soft, Stretchy Plastics
• Grocery/retail shopping bags
• Produce/bulk food bags
• Bread bags (non-foil)
• Milk bags (outer bag, rinsed inner pouches)
• Sandwich bags (including resealable)
• Frozen fruit/vegetable bags (no stand-up pouches)
• Over-wrap (e.g. from toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, water/soft drink cases)
• Newspaper/flyer/magazine bags (separate paper from bag, recycle separately)
• Dry cleaning bags
• Diaper/feminine hygiene outer bags
• Garden soil/manure/compost/road salt bags
Note: remove product before recycling.
Metal
• Aluminum/steel food & beverage cans
• Aluminum trays, burner liners, pie plates, roasting pans
• Cookie tins
• Aerosol cans (empty; lids on)
• Paint cans (empty; remove lids and recycle separately)
Paper*
• Bags (without wax or plastic lining/coating)
• Advertising mail, fine paper, envelopes
• Newspapers, flyers, directories, magazines, catalogues (remove over-wrap, recycle separately)
• Gift wrap, tissue paper, cards (no ribbons, bows, foil wrap)
• Shredded paper (put in clear plastic bag, tie closed)
• Soft/hard cover books
*Place pieces smaller than a business card in envelope or add to bag of shredded paper.
Paper Containers
• Cartons and boxes (e.g. from juice, milk, soup; straws are garbage)
• Spiral wound cans (e.g. from chips, nuts, frozen juice – place metal end in can and pinch
closed; pull-off strips are garbage)
Cardboard
• Boxboard (e.g. from cereal, tissue, detergent, shoe; remove liners, flatten, no freezer boxes)
• Corrugated cardboard (unwaxed, flattened; pizza boxes must be empty; remove overwrap from water/soft drink cases, recycle separately)
• Rolls (e.g. from toilet paper, paper towel, wrapping paper)
Foam Polystyrene
• Foam food and protective packaging (e.g. plates, cups, egg cartons, takeout containers, meat/fish trays; plastic wrap & absorbent pad are garbage)
• Protective packaging (e.g. from shipping, electronics; foam packaging peanuts are garbage)
Note: Food/drink packaging must be empty and rinsed (otherwise, place in garbage). Black foam items and pieces smaller than 10 cm (4″) x 10 cm (4″) go in the garbage).