Notice - December 9, 2024: Now that winter has arrived please ensure property is clear of snow and ice if Solid Waste Management crews need to enter property for pick up. If there are any safety concerns for the collection staff, items may not be picked up.
A request for household hazardous waste (HHW) pick-up (Toxic Taxi), can be submitted online at: https://www.toronto.ca/311
Instructions for Pickup
- Items must be placed out by 7 a.m. on the scheduled pick-up day.
- Customers must provide a list of the items and quantities for pick-up to ensure they are within the amounts mentioned below.
- Place only eligible HHW items out for collection.
- HHW must be placed on private property, at the front of the residence; not at the curb or on the sidewalk, boulevard, street, backyard or back laneway. Properties on main roads must provide an on-site contact name and number for collection to be arranged.
- Note: Items can be placed on an open front porch/veranda or in front of a garage unless located within a laneway. Laneways are not accessible. Please have items located on street address side of property whenever possible.
- HHW collection in the winter - please keep HHW items free of snow and if items will be placed on your property, make sure all driveways and walkways are free of snow and ice.
- The amount must be between 10 to 50 Litres, up to 20kgs per container. For example, up to 15 one gallon/3.8L paint cans This amount is based on the volume indicated on containers, not on the estimated fullness of the containers.
- Any material that exceeds 50 litres/kilograms will be left behind and you will be required to book another pickup.
- Items need to be sorted and kept separate, i.e. batteries, paints, and light bulbs should not be mixed together in one container.
- Items should be placed in an open-topped labeled container, i.e. cardboard box. DO NOT close the box or tape it shut as collections staff need to see what's inside.
- DO NOT USE plastic bags, garbage bags, or cloth grocery bags.
- Liquid materials must be labeled and sealed in a non-leaking container (i.e. paints must have a lid).
- Package light bulbs to prevent breakage.
- If requesting pick-up of fluorescent tubes only, 20 - 40 tubes are acceptable on each pick-up day. Tubes need to be set out in the original box or bundled/taped together in groups of 8. Tubes 8 feet and longer are not collected by the Toxic Taxi and must be dropped off at a Drop-Off Depot or Community Environment Day.
- Needles/syringes must be placed in an approved sharps container (puncture proof) or in another type of plastic container (plastic jug, water bottle, etc.) and sealed. The container needs to be clearly labeled as "needles or syringes". Containers cannot be returned to a resident. There is no minimum requirement.
- Cooking oil (accepted from residential sources only) must be in a sealed container labeled "used cooking oil".
- Only 3 BBQ tanks (each 20 lbs and under) are accepted per pick-up. Larger helium, propane, oxygen, acetylene, etc. tanks should be returned to the point of purchase.
- Any container cannot exceed 20 litres in volume.
- Residents are advised to remove all personal information from medication containers.
- In winter season, please clear property of snow and ice to ensure staff can safely perform the pickup.
See toronto.ca/hhw for other options to dispose of HHW.
