Materials for Drop-off

Containers

• Aluminum and metal cans
• Aluminum foil, plates and trays
• Milk and juice cartons/boxes
• Glass bottles and jars
• Plastic bottles
• Plastic plates or cups, coffee lids
• Plastic tubs and other rigid plastic containers
• Plastic planting pots and trays

Paper Products

• Boxboard (cereal, detergent, tissue and frozen food boxes)
• Computer paper, writing paper and envelopes
• Newspapers, flyers and magazines
• Paper egg cartons, toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls
• Cardboard boxes (flattened)
• Books (remove hard covers)

Corrugated Cardboard

• Flattened corrugated boxes (corrugated cardboard has a wavy layer between two smooth layers of linerboard)
• Does not include waxy cardboard

General Instructions

• Do not place any sharp objects with your recyclables (e.g. broken glass, knives, needles, etc.), as this is a serious health and safety risk to sorters
• Do not place materials in plastic bags

Containers

• Rinse containers to remove food or liquids (empty all liquids after rinsing)
• Remove plastic straws and place in garbage
• Leave lids and caps on containers
• Place the top of a tin can inside the can to prevent cuts to the sorters

Paper Products

• Shredded confidential papers can be dumped into the Paper bin - please be sure not to throw in the plastic bag

Corrugated Cardboard

• Remove all contaminants (e.g. plastic liners, Styrofoam and food)
• Place flattened cardboard into the Cardboard bin

• Separate materials into three streams (containers, paper products, and corrugated cardboard)
• Place items loose in the bins (please do not leave items in plastic bags)
• Do not put plastic bags into the bins; they are not recyclable in the programme and they contaminate the load
  • Waste facilities have a dedicated container for plastic bags near the Paper bin for your use, or you can take them home to reuse

White goods are large appliances such as:

• fridges
• freezers
• dehumidifiers
• air conditioners
• water heaters
• stoves
• washing machines
• clothes dryers
• dishwashers

Freon Removal 

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) Regulation 347 requires that items containing ozone-depleting gases have the refrigerant material (Freon) removed by a Ministry certified technician. Do not attempt to remove the refrigerant waste yourself.

We provide Freon removal service for $15 per unit, in addition to the regular waste disposal fee. This charge will only be waived if the appliance has an official tag confirming that the Freon was removed by an MECP certified technician.

We partner with Switch Energy Corp. to coordination collection of agricultural films directly from farmers, including:

• bale wrap
• silage bags
• greenhouse film

Each material type and colour must be kept separate for recycling and placed in collection bags.

Contact Switch Energy Corp. to confirm current acceptable materials, obtain collection bags, and to get more information on how to participate:

80171 Kinburn Line 
Clinton, ON N0M 1L0 
T. 519.524.0193
E. Email the Switch Energy Corp.

Why Recycle Bale Wrap?

• conserve landfill space
• open burning of bale wrap causes toxins to be released into the air, which can contaminate groundwater and crops, and cause respiratory problems in humans and animals
  • hazardous by-products such as metals, dioxins and furans can be present in the residual ash (Source: Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs)
• conserve natural resources
• recycled bale wrap and greenhouse film will be recycled into various new products

Items too large to fit into a user pay garbage bag are not accepted at the curb for waste collection. These items can be brought to any of our waste facilities for disposal. 

If in good condition, these items can be brought to any of the County's three Reuse Centres to be reused, rather than sent to the landfill. 

We provide annual natural Christmas tree curbside collection, as well as the opportunity to drop off trees at waste facilities. In addition, there are other collection and drop-off opportunities offered by local organizations throughout the County, as well as creative ways to recycle your tree at home.

Please prepare your tree properly for recycling.

Tree Preparation

Remove all decorations, wire, plastic bags, stands and lights. Trees taller than 2.5 m. (8 ft.) will not fit on the truck and must be cut in shorter lengths.

Ways to Recycle

• Drop-Off at Waste Facilities - All County waste facilities will accept Christmas trees at no charge seasonally. Trees are ground into mulch. Food bank donations are gratefully accepted.
• Urban Curbside Collection - Christmas trees will be collected in urban areas only one week in January. Please have trees out by 7:00 am on Monday January 6 to ensure they are collected. However, your tree may not be collected until later in the week. Trees are ground into mulch.
• Trees for Tots Collection - The Children’s Foundation of Guelph and Wellington collect Christmas trees for their Trees For Tots programme during specific times and in specific areas. Visit their website to register. The suggested minimum donation amount for this charity is $15 per tree.
• Kinsmen Club Collection - The Kinsmen Club collect Christmas trees at the curb in exchange for food bank donations during specific times and in specific areas.
• Other Drop-Off Options and "Recycling" Ideas - Natural Christmas trees can be reused in many ways. They can serve as food or shelter for birds and animals, landscaping materials, or a source for unique crafting. Check out the tips and local farm drop-offs from the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario, or check out these 6 Uses for Your Real Christmas Tree After the Holidays.

There is no charge to drop off your old textiles. Please place items in a plastic bag for easier drop-off in the bin. Items in good condition will be reused and damaged items will be recycled.

Acceptable items include:

• clothing
• fabric, yarn
• shoes, boots
• belts, bags, purses, hats, ties
• bed linen, blankets, pillows
• drapes
• sleeping bags
• stuffed animals

Canadian Diabetes Association Clothesline

We have a partnership with the Canadian Diabetes Association Clothesline Programme. Funds raised from the sale of the textiles are used to promote the health of Canadians affected by diabetes through research, education, service and advocacy. A Textile Recycling Drop Box is located at every County waste facility. 

For other donation bin locations, visit The National Association for Charitable Textile Recycling donation bin locator - simply enter your address to find a drop-off location near you.

Drywall, asphalt shingles, and mattresses are now being diverted away from our landfill.

Site attendants will direct you to where they belong when you visit our waste facilities. 

Some construction or renovation materials need special preparation and arrangements before bringing to a County waste facility:

Please contact us at

519.837.2601 or 1.866.899.0248

• Email us

Asbestos

• all asbestos must be delivered to Riverstown waste facility since it must be buried immediately upon receipt
• loose asbestos must be double bagged in heavy duty plastic and tied closed
• larger asbestos sheets that can't fit into a bag should be kept whole
• arrangements must be made through the Disposal Compliance Supervisor at least 48 hours in advance
• inform site attendant of load contents
• follow site attendant's instructions once you check in at the scale house
• general disposal fees apply
• in the disposal of asbestos, a manifest is not necessary
  • The receipt given to the carrier would be presented as proof that the product was disposed of in a responsible way

Clean Fill

Small quantities

• will be accepted at all waste facilities
• staff have the right to re-direct loads if necessary
• general disposal fees apply

Larger quantities

• will only be accepted at Riverstown waste facility
• arrangements must be made through the Disposal Compliance Supervisor at least 48 hours in advance. Please contact SWS to arrange.
• inform site attendant of load contents and any arrangements made
• follow site attendant's instructions once you check in at the scale house
• general disposal fees apply

Concrete and Rubble

Small quantities

• will be accepted at all waste facilities
• staff have the right to re-direct loads if necessary
• general disposal fees apply

Larger quantities

• will only be accepted at Riverstown waste facility 
• arrangements must be made through the Disposal Compliance Supervisor at least 48 hours in advance. Please contact SWS to arrange.
• inform site attendant of load contents and any arrangements made
• follow site attendant's instructions once you check in at the scale house
• general disposal fees apply

Contaminated Soil

Signs are accepted at all six County waste facilities at no charge. We will accept signs made of:

• Polypropylene (PP) Coreplast
• Fibre - similar to boxboard

Note: Election signs are only accepted during an active election.

• Signs must be free of contamination
• Remove metal/wood stakes, nails, fasteners, etc. 
• Signs will be placed in the marked temporary recycling containers
• Place wood in the wood bin or pile (where available). Place metal in the metal bin.

We accept electronic waste from residents at no charge at all waste facilities. Metals, glass and plastics are recovered from electronic waste and recycled.

If electronics are in good working order, consider taking them to a Reuse Centre.

Acceptable items include:

• desktop computers, portable computers, monitors, wiring, and peripherals, including modems
• printers, photocopiers, fax machines, scanners, electric typewriters
• phones, cellphones, pagers, PDAs, answering machines
• stereo systems, TVs, projectors, digital frames, cameras, audio/video recorders and players (MP3, cassette, digital)
• cable and satellite receivers
• headphones, microphones
• video game consoles and peripherals
• ink and toner cartridges

Unacceptable items include:

• games, toys
• CDs, DVDs, video tapes
• power tools
• small household appliances such as microwaves, toasters, blenders
• smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors
• humidifiers

Broken or damaged blue boxes, green bins, and plastic pails can be recycled at any of the six county waste facilities.

Blue boxes can be exchanged for a new one at no cost. 

Regular disposal fees will apply for all other heavy rigid plastic containers including garbage cans, totes, composters, and rain barrels.

Our waste facilities accept appliances and scrap metal for recycling (regular disposal fees apply), including:

• bicycles
• swing sets and slides
• wire
• toaster ovens
• aluminum siding
• ladders
• pots and pans
• stairway railings
• tire rims
• desks and filing cabinets
• metal fencing
• furnaces
• BBQs
• lawnmowers

Remove hazardous materials, such as gasoline and oil from items before delivering to the scrap metal bins or designated pile for recycling. This applies particularly to:

• lawn mowers
• weed whackers
• leaf blowers
• snow blowers
• oil tanks, etc.

Note: These are just some examples of acceptable items. Please use the Recycle Coach waste app to look up how to properly dispose of certain items.

We accept tires from residents and farms at no charge at all waste facilities for recycling (maximum 10 tires per customer per day).

There is also a list of Ontario tire collection locations available on the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA) website - enter your postal code to find additional tire collection locations near you.

Acceptable Tires (Residential Customers Only)

On-Road Vehicle Tires:

• passenger, small RV and trailer, light truck and temporary spare
• motorcycle and golf cart
• free rolling farm
• medium truck

Off-the-Road Vehicle Tires:

• agricultural drive and logger skidder
• forklift, construction equipment
• small, medium and giant off-the-road

Tires from Businesses

Tires from businesses are not accepted at our waste facilities. Please go to the RPRA website to find a tire hauler and determine if your business needs to register as a collector.

Go Green!

Bringing your used tires to a registered collector keeps them from being burned or landfilled. Tires collected under the RPRA programme will be recycled into new products such as under-the-hood automotive products, flooring, sports fields, playground surfaces, and construction-related equipment and materials.

Please ensure that large metal pieces, such as rebar, plates and angle iron, are removed from all wood materials (to prevent damage to chipping equipment). After chipping, the materials are used for waste facility projects (such as roadway building) and other Wellington County initiatives. The site attendant will assess material to determine if it is suitable for chipping. Unacceptable materials are landfilled.

Regular disposal fees apply.

Wood and brush diversion programmes are available at the following waste facilities:

• Aberfoyle Waste Facility 
• Belwood Waste Facility
• Harriston Waste Facility
• Riverstown Waste Facility