Recycling Best Practices

Want to keep your recycling out of landfills?  You may think you know what’s recyclable, but if you’re like me, you may be wrong. So here’s how to make sure your recycling is actually recycled.
 
How to prepare your recyclables before putting them into your bin:

• Thoroughly wash all cans, glass bottles and plastic food containers and bottles. Anything contaminated with food or drink means your recyclables will end up in a landfill not a recycling depot.
• Do NOT put recycling into the bin in a plastic bag of any colour - in other words, NO PLASTIC BAGS in your bin! Dump your clean recyclables into your bin and, if you’ve used one, throw away the plastic bag or better yet, wash and reuse it or take it to the plastic bag recycling bin at your local grocery store. Most of the big chains have a collection bin for plastic grocery bags.
• Do NOT nest items - i.e.: don’t put cans or bottles inside one another. Keep them separate.  
• Do NOT put any form of medical or hazardous waste into recycling. Take any needles, asthma puffers or other medical waste to your local pharmacy, which will oversee their recycling. Take hazardous waste to one of the cities 4R depots.

What you can recycle:

• Clean Plastic containers/bottles (No black plastic)
• Clean Metal cans 
• Clean Glass bottles
• Newspapers
• Non-glossy paper
• Clean cardboard boxes. (No food contaminated boxes)

What you CANNOT recycle: 

• Black plastic (for example, the containers mushrooms are packaged in at the supermarket, coffee-cup lids or bedding plant containers)
• Plastic bags (even the ones that claim to compostable!) 
• Plastic toys, chairs or any other large plastic item
• Plastic wrap (either cellophane or the thicker type)
• Styrofoam (such as takeout containers, coffee cups, meat trays or packing materials)
• Glossy coloured paper (gift bags, wrapping paper)
• Paper towels 
• Paper cups (the kind you get at Tim Hortons or Starbucks - even the compostable ones!)
• Foil containers (takeout trays, pie plates and other foil trays used for cooking)
• Aluminum foil
• Glassware 
• Computers, computer keyboards and electrical cords 
• Clothing and textiles
• Paint cans (see our hazardous waste blog)
  
• Aerosol cans