Recycling items

How to dispose different waste items? Is it a garbage, recycling or organic waste? The City of Toronto publishs some guidelines for the disposing of waste and revises them from time to time. To dispose the waste in a proper way, we should read the newest guideline.

But sometimes,  after reading the newest guideline, I am still confused about how to dispose a waste item.  Fortunately, I can always search the internet and find some useful information. The following materials are from the website of city Toronto.

Beverage and food containers

Rinse clean and recycle

• Plastic bottles and jugs (lids on)
• Milk/juice cartons and boxes (put plastic tops and straws in garbage)
• Glass bottles and jars (put lids in garbage)
• Aluminum cans
• Plastic food jars, tubs and lids (e.g. margarine, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream containers)

• Metal cans (place lid inside can and pinch closed)
• Cardboard cans (e.g. frozen juice, refrigerated dough, chips, nuts, powdered drink mix – put plastic pull-off strips in garbage; place metal ends inside cardboard can and pinch closed)
• Aluminum trays, pie plates and roasting pans

Home and personal product containers

Rinse clean and recycle

• Plastic bottles (lids and sprayers on)
• Aerosol cans (empty; put caps in garbage)

• Metal paint cans & lids (separate lids from cans)

Foam polystyrene and plastic retail shopping bags

Rinse clean and recycle

• Food and protective packaging (e.g. drinking cups, egg cartons, meat trays, takeout food containers, electronics packaging)

• Plastic retail shopping bags without drawstrings, metal detailing or hard plastic handles (remove receipts: place all plastic bags in one retail or grocery plastic bag and and tie handles together)

Paper

Not contaminated with food or chemicals

• Bags, rolls, junk mail, writing/computer paper, envelopes, window envelopes
• Shredded paper (put in clear plastic bag and tie closed)
• Gift wrap, cards (no ribbons, bows, foil wrap)
• Newspapers, flyers, telephone directories, magazines, catalogues, soft/ hardcover books (remove plastic covers, liners, over-wrap and put in garbage)

• Boxboard boxes (e.g. cereal, tissue, detergent, egg cartons – flatten; remove liners, plastic windows and put in garbage)
• Corrugated cardboard (clean, unwaxed, flattened; pizza boxes must be empty; remove plastic over-wrap from pop/water cases and put in garbage)

No

"Top Bin Sins"

(food item goes in Green Bin, wrap goes in garbage)

• Propane cylinders
• Clear plastic food containers, drinking cups
• Plastic blister packs
• Medical waste
• Tools, scrap metal
• Toys

• Clothes, shoes, carpets, curtains, bedding
• Small appliances, electronics
• Cassettes, CDs & DVDs
• Batteries
• Plastic pails, plastic paint pails (with or without metal handles)
• Binders (e.g. three ring)

Other items that don’t go in the Blue Bin

• Dryer sheets, baby wipes, make-up pads, cotton tipped swabs, dental floss
• Hair, pet fur, feathers, wax, wood pieces, cigarette butts, wine corks, vacuum bags/ contents, fireplace and BBQ ashes
• Hazardous waste: propane/helium tanks & cylinders, batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs (Must not be put in recycling or garbage; take to Drop-off Depot.)
• Plastic: make-up jars, caulking tubes, food storage containers, motor oil jugs, plant trays, flower pots, plates, glasses, cutlery, packing peanuts
• Plastic (clear): fruit and vegetable containers, takeout food containers, moulded bakery item trays

• Plastic (bags/wrap): plastic over-wrap (on pop cartons, water bottles, toilet paper), bags holding flyers, dry cleaning, milk (outer and inner), produce, bread, sandwich and plastic food wrap
• Glass: drinking glasses, dishes, cups, crystal, window glass, light bulbs, mirrors, pottery, pots, pans
• Metal: scrap metal, coat hangers, pots, pans, small appliances
• Aluminum: foil food wrap, potato chip bags, metallic gift wrap
• Other paper products: waxed cardboard, waxed paper. Note: Soiled tissues and napkins go in the Green Bin.
• Wood: pieces, flooring, crates for fruit

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Household Hazardous Waste

Proper disposal of items like propane tanks, batteries, pesticides, oil, etc. means taking these items to a Drop-off Depot. These types of items must never be put in recycling or garbage.

• Corrosive such as car battery acid and drain cleaners that will eat away at material and injure skin.
• Flammable such as lighter fluid, turpentine and gasoline that can ignite.
• Explosive such as aerosol containers that may explode if incinerated or stored above 50 degrees Celsius.
• Poisonous such as cleaning fluids, pesticides and medicines that can be poisonous or lethal, even in small quantities, to adults, children and pets.