City of Toronto Adopts a New Waste Management Strategy
Following two years of extensive work, the Long Term Waste Strategy was approved by City Council on July 15, 2016. This comprehensive strategy will guide waste management in Toronto for the next 30-50 years.
The new Waste Strategy puts priority on reducing waste and minimizing the amount sent to landfill. It emphasizes the importance of community engagement and encourages prevention of waste, maximizing its value before disposal and supporting the move towards a circular economy. Over the coming years, the City will implement the recommendations in this strategy through new waste management initiatives to help support Toronto's zero waste goal.
Have your say about Toronto's Draft Waste Strategy!
The City of Toronto, in collaboration with the public and key stakeholders, has developed a Draft Waste Strategy to guide policy decisions to manage Toronto's solid waste over the next 30 to 50 years. Four upcoming public meetings and/or webinars are scheduled to receive public input on the Draft Waste Strategy, its recommended options and implementation plan. This is a “3Rs-First” Strategy, focused on reducing, reusing and recycling/composting waste to promote
Members of the public are invited to attend any of the following sessions to provide feedback. Online registration is requested via http://www.torontowastestrategy.eventbrite.ca. resource conservation and reduced environmental impact.
· Draft Waste Strategy Overview
Tuesday, March 29, 6 to 8:30 p.m., presentation at 7 p.m.
St. Paul’s Bloor Street Church, Cody Hall, 227 Bloor St. E. (Bloor/Yonge Station)
· Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: Waste Diversion in Houses, Apartments, and Condos
Monday, April 4, 6:30 to 9 p.m., presentation and workshop at 7 p.m.
Central YMCA, Auditorium, 20 Grosvenor St. (Wellesley Station)
· Diversion Opportunities: Businesses and Do-It-Yourself Home Renovators
Thursday, April 7, 2 to 3:30 p.m., webinar http://www.toronto.ca/wastestrategy
· Waste Recovery and Residual: How to Handle Remaining Materials
Tuesday, April 12, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., presentation at 7 p.m.
City Hall, Committee Room 2, 100 Queen St. W.
In-person sessions begin with an open house format where attendees may view information boards and speak to project staff. This will be followed by a presentation, question and answer period and breakout sessions involving small group interactive discussions. Those unable to attend in person may review project information on the Waste Strategy's website and complete an online survey to provide their feedback from March 29 to April 27.
Staff will present a final Waste Strategy to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee on June 20 and to City Council at its July 2016 meeting.
More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/wastestrategy. Those who use social media can join the conversation on Twitter via @GetInvolvedTO and the hashtag #TOwastestrategy.
Plastic Film Can Be Sorted into Blue Bin Starting June 1
Toronto's Blue Bin recycling program, one of North America's largest residential curbside recycling programs, will soon become even bigger and better with the addition of new types of soft plastic. The timing is perfect. The City uses the services of a state-of-the-art recycling processing facility located here in Toronto that is able to process these types of plastic. Another key factor is a stable market for selling soft plastic film is now established.
New acceptable items include:
- milk bags and outer bags;
- select types of bread bags (non-foil);
- sandwich bags (e.g. re-sealable type bags);
- bulk food bags (used for fruit, vegetables, nuts);
- dry cleaning bags;
- newspaper/flyer bags;
- fresh or frozen produce bags;
- over-wrap from toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, feminine hygiene products, water/soft drink packaging, etc.
Please empty and rinse these plastic items to remove residue before placing in the Blue Bin.
This leaves only a few types of soft plastic material that cannot be recycled:
X All biodegradable plastic film materials
X Black plastic film
X Laminated plastic film (e.g. stand-up re-sealable pouch bags)
For more details, visit toronto.ca/recycling and to confirm where items go, check the Waste Wizard at toronto.ca/wastewizard
If you need more room for your recyclables, upsize your Blue Bin for free. Make a Service Request online at toronto.ca/311 or phone 311.
When we each do our part to recycle as much as we can, we help increase our waste diversion rate and save valuable landfill space. We can also take pride in knowing that the extra plastic we are recycling will be made into other items such as plastic bags and plastic wood products. It's a win-win all the way around.
Update on the City of Toronto's Long Term Waste Management Strategy
Thank you to everyone who shared their ideas on the City's Long Term Waste Management Strategy at the Public Consultation Sessions in June 2014, throughout the Summer, Fall, and at Community Events, and also by completing the first survey.
To find out what we heard from you and learn about more opportunities to participate as the Strategy develops, please read Project Update #2
Christmas Tree Pickup Delay
Ward 18 Residents have contacted my office because Christmas tree pickup did not take place on the scheduled day. Many areas in the City have missed collections due to weather delays and equipment failure. Please leave your Christmas tree at your pick-up point until it is collected. As well, I am re-positing further information from the City of Toronto regarding residential Christmas tree pickups:
The City has specific collection days for natural Christmas trees in January. Check your calendar for specific dates. If you have a Christmas tree for disposal after the schedule collection day, please keep your tree until yard waste collection begins in the spring (if your tree is longer than 4 feet, you must cut it in half for it to be collected as yard waste in), or trees can be dropped off at a City Transfer Station that accepts yard waste.
Christmas trees are collected separately, in separate trucks so that they can be processed and composted. Christmas trees are taken to transfer stations, chipped and used internally by City divisions. The wood chips are not available to the public.
The following items must be removed before placing the tree at the curb. The City will not collect Christmas trees set out in plastic bags or tree bags.
- tree bags
- tinsel
- ornaments
- nails
- tree skirts
- stands etc
Trees should be clear of snow and ice and easily accessible for collection.
Single Family residential Christmas tree collection
To find out your Christmas tree collection day please visit the City of Toronto website.
Night Time Collection - RUAC (Residential Above Commercial) & Houses on Main Roads, check your calendar for Christmas Tree pick-up dates. Calendars are available on the City of Toronto website. Should it not be collected, all items must be removed from the street and placed out again during the proper time or risk of by-law infraction
Contact 311 to report a missed Christmas tree collection.
Multi-residential properties
Contracted services: Multi-residential properties receiving garbage collection from the City's contractor (Miller Waste) will receive a separate collection of Christmas Trees in January. Please refer to your Miller Waste collection calendar for the schedule.Contact 311 to report a missed Christmas Tree collection.
In-house collection: Multi-residential properties receiving collection for City in-house crews will receive Christmas Tree collection according to the Residential day schedules. Please visit the City of Toronto website.
All or Nothing Policy
- The non-residential program is for properties that qualify for City collection. Recycling and organics collection will be provided at no charge ONLY to customers using authorized bag/bins/carts/front-end containers for city garbage collection. If a non-residential property uses a private company for "regular waste", they cannot have organics or recycling collected by the City.
Ice Storm Debris Clean Up Plan
Toronto’s city-wide tree debris removal starts Friday, January 3, 2014 and is expected to take approximately eight weeks, weather permitting. It will begin simultaneously in all wards across the city.
The plan is a coordinated approach by Solid Waste Management Services; Transportation Services; Parks, Forestry & Recreation; and Toronto Water. Solid Waste Management Services is the lead. Private contracted services will also be used.
Up to 120 three-person crews made up of both City staff and contractors will clear tree debris from roadsides using chain saws and chippers while another 120 two-person forestry crews will continue their work removing hanging branches that threaten power lines and walking areas.
The City will haul away all tree branches from front yards and roadsides and will include those that have fallen on private property if they are less than 15 cm (six inches) in diameter and have been taken to the curb. Residents should neatly stack limbs/branches at the front edge of their properties without blocking either sidewalks or roads and with the butt ends of branches towards the road.
City crews will not collect large limbs (more than 15 cm or six inches in diameter) from private trees that have fallen on private property. Property owners should contact a private contractor for this. A City permit is not required to remove damaged or downed trees that are hazardous, however many trees can be saved with proper care and pruning.
For residents that live in the Asian long-horned beetle (ALHB) quarantine area in Etobicoke, City crews and private contractors will dispose of this debris in an appropriate manner. Residents are advised not to take this wood out of the Federal quarantine area. Check toronto.ca/trees for more information.
Residents can monitor the progress of debris removal by checking a detailed map.
