Decorating & Design
Yes, There Is A Correct Way To Recycle
Published on November 6, 2024
Yes, there is a correct way to recycle your plastic, paper, metal and more. Get organized at home to make recycling right easier for everyone. It’s important to recycle right so we can best conserve our natural resources and keep waste out of landfill.
Recycling correctly benefits everyone. Here’s what you need to know.
Sort It Right
It’s easy to just toss your plastic and paper into the recycling bin, but over the years there has been an increase in the amount of improperly sorted waste such as food and organics in Toronto’s Blue Bin program. Putting the wrong items in recycling costs money and could potentially damage equipment and cause workplace injuries at the recycling facility. So, just take the time to rinse, sort and check to make sure the item is going in the right waste bin. It only takes a few seconds to recycle right.
Coffee Cups Now Accepted In Your Recycling Bin!
Toronto residents, schools and long-term care facilities can now put single-use hot — coffee and tea — and cold (e.g. fountain drinks) paper-based beverage cups in the Blue Bin recycling. Originally considered items for the garbage, coffee cups and fountain drink cups are two of the new items* being piloted in Toronto. To ensure you’re disposing of the right cup in the right way, here are some simple tips:
- Empty your cups of any remaining liquids and give them a quick rinse to remove any residue.
- Remove lids, sleeves, and any other accessories from the cups and place them loosely in your Blue Bin.
- Place the cups loosely in the Blue Bin, without stacking or nesting them together.
*based on the producers’ collective investments into material processing facilities and Blue Box Program standardization across Ontario.
DID YOU KNOW? Toronto has been chosen to pilot the change ahead of adding these items to all municipal recycling programs in Ontario in 2026.
Teach By Example
Kids learn from their parents so it’s good to share with them early on what item goes into which bin, and how correctly sorting items can help preserve the environment. Show them the difference between hard plastic bottles, soft plastics, paper, cardboard, metal, glass and foam polystyrene (commonly found in egg cartons and the bottom of meat packaging). Make a game of it, test their memory — everyone benefits! Visit toronto.ca/RecycleRight to learn what does and does not go in the Blue Bin.
Know Your Recycling Rules
We’ve all been there — staring at our bins contemplating if something belongs in the garbage, Blue Bin recycling or Green Bin organics. When in doubt, check the Waste Wizard, the City of Toronto’s search tool with instructions on how to dispose of over 2,000 items. You can also download the TOWaste app or contact 311 at any time.
Do The Work. The Results Are Worth It.
It may take a few seconds out of our day, but if we all recycled right, we could minimize our environmental impact, help reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) and feel better about contributing to a healthier environment. Here are some things to do BEFORE you toss any item into the recycling bin that will make a huge difference.
- Empty and rinse food containers and put the lids back on. This will help prevent other materials in the recycling bin from getting ruined and becoming non-recyclable.
- Separate plastic bags/over-wrap from newspapers, flyers, magazines, and water and soft drink cases and recycle them separately.
Reduction and reuse are also important to help produce less waste. Learn simple ways to reduce your waste at toronto.ca/Reduce-Reuse.
DID YOU KNOW? The City of Toronto’s goal is to reduce community wide GHG emissions in Toronto to net zero by 2040. Learn more about Toronto’s ambitious TransformTO Net Zero Strategy here.