What Goes in the Blue Bin?

The City does not accept coffee pods in its Blue Bin recycling program. All coffee pods, including those that are labelled or marketed as recyclable, must be disposed of in the garbage or returned to retailers/manufacturers who have take-back programs.

The City commissioned research related to disposal of single-serve coffee and tea pods. The findings include feedback from Toronto residents about use, attitudes and disposal behaviours.

The City does not accept the following items marketed or labelled as compostable or biodegradable in its Blue Bin recycling program:

• containers/packaging
• coffee pods
• coffee cups
• bags
• cutlery.

These items, which may be made of or lined with a bio-based plastic, must be disposed of in the garbage. Alternatively, products can be returned to retailers/manufacturers who have take-back programs.

Why the City doesn’t accept these items in the Blue Bin

Compostable and biodegradable plastics are not recyclable, as they are made of materials that are meant to break down versus materials that can be made into something new. Once recyclables are collected and sorted, they are baled and sold to partially offset the cost of collecting and separating recycling. At the recycling facility, compostable and biodegradable plastics get mixed with conventional plastics. When this happens, it lowers the quality of the plastic bales making them less valuable and more difficult to sell.

Food and organic waste

Food scraps like apple cores, eggshells or expired leftovers belong in your Green Bin. When you mistakenly toss food scraps in your Blue Bin, food residue and particles get soaked up by paper and can ruin large batches of otherwise good recyclables.

Containers with leftover food

Please empty and rinse food containers before tossing them in your Blue Bin. When you don’t, the residue from items like jars and take-out containers get soaked up by paper and can ruin large batches of otherwise good recyclables. Put any food scraps in your Green Bin.

Clothing and textiles

Old clothes, shoes, blankets, and curtains don’t belong in the Blue Bin. They can get caught in sorting machines, damage equipment and cause workplace injuries at the recycling facility. Instead, donate items that are in good condition to not-for-profit agencies or drop them off for reuse at Community Environment Days. If your items can’t be donated, put them in the garbage.

Hot beverage cups

Most disposable hot beverage cups are made of paper, but lined with plastic, which makes them difficult to sort mechanically at the recycling facility. Conventional paper mills do not want coffee cups because of their low-quality paper and inner liner, which does not pulp easily and causes clogging in the pulping process. The dyes in the paper can also affect the quality of the end paper product and make it difficult for paper mills to turn cups into other paper-based products. As a result, the City has not been able to find a stable market (i.e. buyers) for coffee cups. Please place coffee cups in the garbage. Non-black plastic lids and paper sleeves should be removed and placed in the Blue Bin.

Black plastic

Black plastic of any kind, such as take-out containers and black garbage bags aren’t accepted in the City’s recycling program. There are two main reasons for this:

• there is no stable market for the volume of black plastic generated in Toronto
• black plastic cannot be sorted mechanically at the recycling facility because the optical sorting technology cannot recognize it.

Please dispose of all black plastic in the garbage.

VHS tapes, chains, hoses and electrical cords

These do not go in your Blue Bin. They can get tangled in sorting machines, damage equipment and cause workplace injuries at the recycling facility. Donate unwanted VHS tapes or see if your local electronics store’s has a recycling program. Throw unwanted cords, hoses and cables in your garbage.

• Remove food, liquids or other contents and rinse clean before recycling.
• Put items in loose and not bagged. Use clear plastic bag only if necessary.
• Put shredded paper in a clear plastic bag.
• Separate plastic bags/over-wrap from newspapers, flyers, magazines, water/soft drink cases. Recycle separately.
• Not all items with a recycling symbol  are accepted in Toronto’s Blue Bin recycling program.
• If unsure about whether or not an item can be recycled, check Waste Wizard.

Glass

• Bottles, jars (lids on)
  

Plastics

• Tubs, lids
• Clear food containers/clamshells
• Disposable plates, cups, berry containers (black items are garbage)
• Detergent, hand soap, shampoo bottles (lids, sprayers, pumps – on tight)
• Beverage bottles (lids on)
• Cat litter tubs with plastic handles
• Plastic paint pails (empty; remove metal handles, handles are garbage)
• Clear compact disk cases (empty; black cases are garbage)

Note: black plastic items cannot be recycled (put in garbage).

Soft, stretchy plastics

• Outer Milk bags
• Bread bags (non-foil)
• Non-zipper Sandwich bags
• Bulk food/produce bags
• Frozen fruit/vegetable bags (no stand-up pouches)
• Grocery/retail shopping bags
• Dry cleaning bags
• Newspaper/flyer, magazine bags (separate item from bag; recycle separately)
• Garden soil/manure/compost/road salt bags
• Diaper/feminine hygiene outer bags
• Over-wrap from toilet paper, napkins, paper towels, water/soft drink cases

Note: remove product before recycling.

Metal

• Aluminum/steel cans
  (place lid in can and pinch closed)
• Aluminum trays, burner liners, pie plates, roasting pans
• Cookie tins
• Aerosol cans (empty; put plastic caps in the garbage)
• Paint cans (empty; remove lids and recycle separately)

Paper

• Bags
• Advertising mail, fine paper, envelopes (including window)
• Newspapers, flyers, directories, magazines, catalogues (remove over-wrap, recycle separately)
• Gift wrap, tissue paper, cards (no ribbons, bows, foil wrap)
• Shredded paper (put in clear plastic bag, tie closed)
• Soft/hard cover books

Cardboard

• Boxboard (e.g. cereal, tissue, detergent, shoe; remove liners, flatten, no freezer boxes)
• Corrugated cardboard (clean, unwaxed, flattened; pizza boxes must be empty; remove over-wrap from water/soft drink cases, recycle separately)
• Rolls (toilet, paper towel, wrapping paper)
• Milk/juice cartons and boxes (straws are garbage)
• Cans (e.g. chips, nuts, frozen juice – place metal end in can and pinch closed; pull-off strips are garbage)

 Foam polystyrene

• Foam food and protective packaging
  (e.g. drinking cups, egg cartons, meat trays, takeout food containers, electronic packaging).

Note: black foam items cannot be recycled (put in garbage).

Printable Recycling Guide with images

Medical waste

• Needles are hazardous waste and must not be put in garbage. Take to a Drop-off Depot.
• Plastic catheter/colostomy bags and tubes are garbage

Plastic

• Caulking tubes
• Motor oil jugs
• Paint cans
• Packing peanuts
• Binders
• Toys
• Black plastic takeout containers, black garbage bags, black plant trays and flower pots (other colours accepted)
• Cassettes, CDs, DVDs

Plastic packaging

• Black plastic
• Household cling wrap
• Biodegradable containers/film (e.g. compostable plastic bags)
• Laminated plastic film (e.g. chip bags, stand-up resealable pouch bags)
• Pre-packaged items (e.g. meat, cheese)
• Bubble wrap
• Plastic squeeze tubes for home and personal products (hair, body etc.)
• Single-serve coffee and tea pods

Glass

• Drinking glasses, dishes, cups, crystal
• Ceramics, pottery
• Window glass
• Light bulbs
• Mirrors
• Pots, pans

Metal

• Propane/helium cylinders and tanks
• Tools, scrap metal, auto parts
• Coat hangers
• Pots, pans, small appliances
• Electronics
• Binders

Textiles

• Clothes, shoes
• Carpets, curtains
• Bedding

Aluminum

• Foil food wrap, potato chip bags
• Metallic gift wrap and bows

Paper products

• Waxed cardboard and paper
• Ribbons
• Soiled tissues and napkins (these go in the Green Bin)

Wood

• Crates for fruit
• Renovation waste is garbage and must be taken to a Drop-off Depot.

Other items

• Cables, hoses, ropes

Household Hazardous Waste

• Proper disposal of household hazardous waste items such as propane/helium tanks, batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, pesticides, oil, etc. means taking these items to a Drop-off Depot.
• These types of items must never be put in recycling or garbage.
• The Toxic Taxi provides free pick-up of 10 to 50 litres/kilograms of household hazardous waste from Toronto residents. Book an appointment online or by calling 311.

Note: Some of these items can be recycled at Drop-off Depots or Community Environment Days.