Community Environment Days
Community Environment Days are held every year from April to September to help reduce the amount of reusable, recyclable or household hazardous waste going into landfill.
Do your part to create a cleaner, greener and more liveable Toronto. Drop off reusable and recyclable items such as clothing, small appliances, non-perishable food items and electronics. You can also drop off household hazardous waste for safe disposal and pick up free compost for your garden.
Pick up for free:
- Leaf compost: *New for 2019 – compost will come in 15 kg bags (limit of two bags per household, while supplies last)
Products available:
- Kitchen container ($5 each)
Drop off for recycling or proper disposal:
Donate items in good condition for reuse:
- Sporting goods
- Arts and crafts supplies
- Books (excluding textbooks)
- Cameras, CDs and cases
- Dress-up clothing and costume jewelry
- Clothing, linens, etc.
- Small household items
- Musical instruments, board games
- Eyeglasses, walking aids, hearing aids, etc.
- Non-perishable foods
Please do not bring: ink cartridges or toner, construction waste, air conditioners, garbage, wood, cassette and videotapes, commercial/industrial hazardous waste and scrap metal.
Resident are invited to pick up free compost at all Community Environment Day events. The compost was created from the yard waste and organic materials collected at the curb, throughout the City of Toronto.
The majority of the finished compost comes from the yard waste program, while five to ten per cent may come from the Green Bin program. Various Ontario processors receive both of these materials and blend them with organic materials of different types and sources, producing optimum conditions for composting. Before leaving the facilities, the compost is tested to ensure quality and provincial requirements for safety.
The compost acts as an excellent soil amendment and is safe to use in gardens and on lawns; however, plants should not be placed in pure compost just as they should not be placed pure fertilizer. One part compost should be mixed with six parts soil.
Compost is the product of a controlled, safe and efficient process. The process uses naturally occurring micro-organisms to convert materials that were once considered waste, into an excellent source of plant nutrients for gardens and lawns. Compost also improves the structure and water holding properties of soil.
For more information, read the What Happens to Organics page.
By donating your items, you’re helping Community Environment Days support local charities and keep items out of landfill.
Waste Diversion Statistics 2013-2018
| 2013 | 155,490 kg of electronics 303,945 kg of household hazardous waste 108,652 kg of non-Blue box material diverted |
| 2014 | 167,661 kg of electronics 310,845 kg of household hazardous waste 68,792 kg of reusable household goods 7,468 kg of arts & crafts supplies |
| 2015 | 111,185 kg of electronics 340,400 kg of household hazardous waste 56,470 kg of reusable household goods 13,535 kg of arts & crafts supplies |
| 2016 | 125,200 kg of electronics 320,390 kg of household hazardous waste 57,350 kg of reusable household goods 7,830 kg of arts & crafts supplies 123 kg of food donated |
| 2017 | 99,370 kg of electronics 290,260 kg of household hazardous waste 48,790 kg of reusable household goods 9,840 kg of arts & crafts supplies 105 kg of food donated |
| 2018 | 99,595 kg of electronics 263,695 kg of household hazardous waste 51,682 kg of reusable household goods 15,030 kg of arts & crafts supplies 109 kg of food donated |
Non-Blue box materials include donations for reuse or recycling through community organizations and TDSB schools. Prior to 2009, the total non-Blue box amount listed here also included plastic shopping bags and polystyrene, which have since been included in the Blue Bin program.