Garbage, Recycling and Composting

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Waste Reminders for a Safe Collection - COVID-19

Residents are reminded that all items must be placed curbside by 7:00 a.m. on the morning of your collection day in order to ensure it is picked up. Collection crews are unable to return for late set-outs.

Please do not place large items, bins or bags at the curb before 6 pm the night before collection. It doesn't look very nice for your neighbours and could result in a By-law violation and fine.

Collection Updates

For the status of today's collection, please visit GFL's alert page. This page will be updated throughout the day with the latest information.

Collection inquiries, broken green and blue bin replacement (Town issued bins)/new resident bin delivery - 1-866-421-5625 or WasteLine@gflenv.com

Residents can purchase additional blue and green bins online by completing this form. Bins purchased by 4:30 pm on Friday will be delivered to the address provided the following week on your collection day.

Upcoming Waste Events

Electronics Recycling Event - Saturday May 8, 2021 - event currently on hold due to COVID-19 Restrictions
Compost Giveaway Event - Saturday May 22, 2021 - event currently on hold due to COVID-19 Restrictions

Please continue to check back on status of events.

Wondering What Goes Where?

Have an item you no longer want and wondering what to do with it? Use our search tool to find out!

Donations to charitable organizations are a great way to avoid sending reusable items to landfill. Find a location near you!

Quiz - What Type of Recycler are you?

Mobile App now available!

Download Recycle Coach on your mobile phone. It is a free mobile app that gives residents information for exactly where they live! Find your collection schedule, set collection reminders, sign up for notifications for special events or program changes, "What Goes Where?" search function, Reduce & Reuse Tips and much more! Available at the App Store for Apple and Android phones.

The Town provides the following curbside collections. Please choose one of the following for more information:

Metal Item Recycling & Bulky (Large) Item Pick Up

Textile Recycling

Received an "OOPS" sticker? Find out why here.

Garbage

Regular garbage is collected bi-weekly on your regular collection day. Refer to page 2 of the Recycling & Waste Collection Calendar for your areas collection day.

There is a three (3) bag or container limit for each dwelling unit, business or industrial establishment, except for those businesses on Main Street within the Business Improvement Area (BIA) located between Albert Street to Park Drive.

All garbage should be placed in a Town approved container (excluding cardboard boxes) or plastic bag designed and sold for the purpose of containing garbage. Items placed inside containers must be in tied plastic bags, loose items present and health and safety issue for drivers and may not be collected. Containers not accepted for collection include:

containers including contents weighing over 22 kg (50 pounds)
oversized (approx 125 litres or more) containers with wheels and lid which are sold at some local improvement stores. The overall weight, size and durability of these containers prevent safe and effective collection
plastic bags, no loose grocery/kitchen catcher bags
cardboard boxes
containers that have a lid attached to the can. The lid must be able to be removed by the driver.
containers that do not have open handles

Stickers may be purchased for each additional individual bag or container in excess of the three bag limit for a fee of $2.00 per bag or container at Customer Service during regular business hours or at the stores listed below:

B.J.'s Gift & Variety, 6416 Main Street, Stouffville (cash only)
Sunny's Variety, 14635 Ninth Line, Musselman's Lake (cash only)
Petro-Canada Station (Wesley Corners), 15288 Woodbine Avenue, Vandorf (cash only)

The stickers can be placed on disposable plastic bags (around the neck of the bag) or on the garbage within a container in a clearly visible location and readily seen upon removal of the containers' lid.

Medical (Bio-Hazardous) Waste
Medical waste is extremely dangerous to collection staff and is not collected curbside. This type of waste should be disposed of through a company specialized in medical waste disposal. All medical waste including syringes must be properly placed in a secure bio-hazardous container and taken to a hazardous waste facility.

Green Bin Program

Green bins are collected weekly on your regular collection day. All Green Bin material must be placed inside the bin in compostable bags that are securely closed or tied.

Lids of Green Bins should be closed and locked when set out for collection. Green Bins with materials overflowing will not be collected. If you have too much organic material for your Green Bin, additional bins are available to purchase online by completing this form. Only Town issued green bins will be accepted for collection.

$23.00 (plus HST) for a Green Bin and
$6.00 (plus HST) for the smaller indoor container. Please note that Green Bins must not exceed 50 pounds each. Please do not set your small indoor container at the curb for collection. The larger Green Bin is mandatory for curbside collection.

For more information regarding the Green Bin Program, please refer to pages 4 & 6 of the Recycling & Waste Collection Calendar.

Blue Box/Recycling

Blue Boxes are collected weekly on your regular collection day.

contents will be collected only in a Town issued blue bin not exceeding 65cm (26 inches) in length, 50cm (20 inches) in width and 50cm (20 inches) in height.
Blue boxes or containers covered with lids or nets will not be collected.
Materials placed out for collection in plastic bags or cardboard boxes will not be collected.
Additional blue boxes are available to purchase for $10.25 (plus HST) each online by completing this form.

Cardboard must be broken down to 90cm x 90cm x 30cm (36"x36"x12") dimensions, newspaper and boxboard bundled and tied can be placed next to the blue box for pickup to provide more space in your blue box.

Plastic bags are not recyclable in our blue box program. Find out where to recycle your plastic bags!

Propane cylinders are not accepted in the blue box. These are hazardous waste and must be taken to a drop-off depot for proper disposable.

How do I recycle my plastic bags?

You can drop off your plastic shopping bags at participating grocery retail locations across York Region. Please do not put plastic bags in your blue box. Blue boxes containing plastic bags or other non-accepted items - such as Styrofoam (including take-out containers), shredded paper, household hazardous waste or other film plastic such as newspaper sleeves or packaging left on beverage cartons - will be left behind by collection crews. These materials contaminate the recycling stream and can cause costly damage to sorting equipment.

For more information regarding the Blue Box Program, including a list of acceptable items, please refer to pages 17 of the Recycling & Waste Collection Calendar.

Yard Waste

Yard Waste is collected bi-weekly on your regular collection day from April to November. Please refer to the Recycling & Waste Collection Calendar for the yard waste collection days for your area.

All yard waste material except brush must be placed in paper yard waste bags or an open top garbage container clearly labelled with a yellow 'Yard Waste' sticker (stickers available at the Town Offices). Yard Waste will not be collected in cardboard boxes and blue boxes or containers resembling blue boxes. Clear, opaque or orange bags will not be collected. Please do not place yard waste bags at the curb before collection day. Bags left outdoors in the elements deteriorate very quickly and can cause problems for collection crews by ripping and falling apart. Crews are not responsible for collecting ripped or torn bags.

Materials acceptable for collection include leaves, plants, fine brush, tree clippings, and branches. Branches are not to exceed 100 mm (four inches) in diameter, and shall be tied in bundles of a maximum length of 1.2 metres (four feet), and weighing no more than 22 kgs (fifty pounds). Please do not use wire to tie bundles.

Materials not accepted include grass clippings, stumps, root balls, rocks, food and kitchen wastes, animal droppings, fruit and vegetables, driveway and road sweepings.

Grass clippings are not collected curbside. Feed your lawn with them instead! Here are some helpful tips:

Raise the wheels of your mower to make grass clippings shorter. This means no bagging or raking!
Attach a mulching blade to your lawnmower.
Spreading grass clippings evenly over the lawn creates a natural fertilizer and keeps the weeds away.
Add grass clippings to a backyard composter to create your own mulch.

Residents who wish to drop off their yard waste (including grass clippings, fee applies) may do so at the Bloomington Yard Waste Facility.

Metal Item Recycling & Bulky (Large) Item Pick-Up

Large metal items such as appliances, barbecues (no propane tanks), bed frames, furnaces, hot water heaters, metal bath tubs, storage sheds and bicycles must be recycled. Call 1-866-421-5625 to arrange for a special curbside collection.

For safety, remove doors from fridges, freezers, dishwashers and ovens.

If a special collection is not booked, metal items will not be collected. Metal appliances and scrap metal can also be dropped off at select York Region Public Drop-off Depots.

Large items such as furniture, mattresses, box springs, plastic lawn furniture, toilets, carpeting, etc.

can be placed at curbside for pick-up on your regular garbage collection day (maximum 4 items per collection). Please do not break down or separate large items if possible. Bundle small loose pieces. Drivers may refuse to collect if there is a safety concern due to sharp edges or nails or screws sticking out of material. Tie carpeting and linoleum in rolls measuring no longer than 1.2 metres (4 ft) and weighing less than 22 kilograms (50 lbs) (maximum 10 rolls per collection). Toilets must be separated into two pieces (tank/bowl) and drained for collection.

Construction and demolition waste is not collected curbside. Please take these materials to select York Region Public Drop-off Depots or donate good quality materials to a charitable organization.

For collection inquiries, please contact GFL Environmental Inc. at 1-866-421-5625 or WasteLine@gflenv.com

Please help keep your neighbourhood clutter free and do not place metal or bulky items out before your scheduled collection day. This is a By-law violation and could result in a fine.

Textile Recycling

Residents of Whitchurch-Stouffville are now able to contribute cloth items and home décor of any kind including clothing, curtains, towels and bed sheets. Gently worn and reusable items are welcome, as well as any clean, dry and odourless items. This includes ripped or damaged textiles and items such as purses or eyeglasses. Visit our Textile Recycling page for more information!