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Recycling Tips

Recycling Tips

For reuse tips, please visit Reuse Programs.

Click on an option below to jump to a Recycling Tip of your interest:

Recycling Videos

The City of Orillia has created three videos to help you improve your recycling and other waste diversion efforts! Please click below to see how you can help the City stay one of the top recyclers in Ontario.

Accessible Tips for Recycling

Recycling Wheel Kits

The City of Orillia now has available wheel kits with a pull cord that can be installed on your recycling box to allow you to roll it to the curb without having to lift it.  The wheel kits are only $10 each (HST included) and fit right into your existing recycling box.  They can be purchased at the City's Waste Diversion Site located at 100 Kitchener Street. Please visit the Household Hazardous Waste Depot to pick up a set.

Be a Good Neighbour - Volunteer!

The good neighbour program encourages residents to be more aware of the needs of their neighbours - being seniors or those with physical disabilities - by providing assistance in bringing out and taking in their neighbour's recycling, garbage and green bin. Are you a high school student looking to fulfill your volunteer hours? Perhaps this could be the opportunity you are looking for.  Visit your school's guidance office to pick up a form to record these hours and to learn more.

Do You Have Too Much Recycling?

To ensure the ease of bringing your recycling to the curb on weeks where materials are in excess, the City of Orillia offers additional recycling boxes (large or small) for sale at the Waste Diversion Site for $5 each (HST included). 

Aerosol Cans

Empty aerosol cans can be placed in your Recycling Box for containers. Full or partially full aerosol cans should be taken by residents to the Household Hazardous Waste Depot at the Waste Diversion Site for recycling. There is no charge for drop off. The cans will be sent for recycling. 

Backyard Composters

Backyard composters are available at the Waste Diversion Site for $25.00 each. You can reduce your household waste by up to 35%. For more information, please visit our Green Bin/ Yard Waste page.

Donate Your Used Clothing

Each year, Orillians throw away over 150 tonnes of textiles, such as clothing, shoes, backpacks, purses, belts, pillows and blankets, that go to landfill instead of being recycled.  This is the same weight as about 50 compact cars. There are a number of local charities that accept usable clothing in Orillia.  Some locations, like the Salvation Army and Value Village will even take ripped clothing, socks with holes in them, clothing with stains, underwear or other clothing that you may not think is good enough to donate. These lower quality items can still be recycled so please donate them as well where permitted.

Some local charities that accept donations include:

  • Salvation Army Thrift Store - 55 Wyandotte St. (705-326-6550)
  • Value Village - 8000 Highway 12 (705-327-8288)
  • Green Again for New Beginnings - 33 Mississaga St. E. (705-325-0686) - accepts women's/men's/children's clothing that is clean and gently used
  • Lighthouse Christian Ministries - 48 Peter St. S. (705-329-2265) - accepts men's clothing, twin size bed linens, towels, etc.
  • Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - 461 West St. N (705-325-1304) - accepts old blankets, towels and linens

Other charities like the Canadian Diabetes Association (1-800-226-8464), Kidney Clothes (1-800-414-3484)
and Community Living Ontario (1-800-278-8025) will pick up your used clothing. Please call ahead if you are unsure of what is accepted. 

Empty Oil Containers

Empty oil containers are accepted from residents of Orillia and the Townships of Ramara, Severn and Oro-Medonte at no charge for recycling at the City of Orillia's Household Hazardous Waste Depot located at the Waste Diversion site. Also acceptable for recycling are empty antifreeze containers but these can be placed in your Recycling Box for containers as well.

Fix It! Don't Pitch It!

By fixing and not pitching your broken household items, you'll be helping to save valuable landfill space.  Below is a list of what to look for in the Yellow Pages for local repair shops.  Here is a list of some of the local Orillia businesses that can fix your various items:

  • Appliances - Look under "Appliances - Major-Sales & Service"
  • Bicycles - Look under "Bicycle Dealers-Sales & Service"
  • Furniture - Look under "Furniture Repairing, Refinishing & Stripping"
  • Vacuum Cleaners - Look under "Vacuum Cleaners-Household Sales & Service"
  • Audio - Look under "Stereo Equipment-Sales & Service"
  • Televisions - Look under "Television-Sales & Service"
  • Computers - Look under "Computer Sales & Service"
  • Clocks - Look under "Clocks-Repair"
  • Watches - Look under "Watches-Repair"

Fluorescent Tube/Lamp Recycling

Did you know that energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps contain mercury? These, along with worn out fluorescent tubes, can be dropped off free of charge for recycling at the Household Hazardous Waste Depot. There is a limit of 30 tubes per visit. 

To prevent fluorescent tubes from breaking while being transported to the Depot, be sure to wrap them securely with newspaper and tape over the newspaper (do not put tape directly on tubes), or else fasten them together with elastic bands.

In addition to diverting glass, this recycling program reduces mercury going into our landfill site. 

Green Bin & Kitchen Containers

Green bin/yard waste is collected on a weekly basis year round. Place your green bin out at the curb on your regular collection day. For more information on where to get your green bin and how to use it, please click here.

Hard Cover Books Recycling

The best option is to donate good hard cover books to charity. Many hard cover books have coating
materials on the hard cover themselves, such as buckram cloth or leather, that are not recyclable in the City's program.  Therefore, for most hard cover books, please  remove and recycle pages in between only. Hard covers with a paper coating on the hard cover itself can be placed in your paper recycling box. For binders: Recycle the pages and remove any plastic covers and steel rings on the binder itself and recycle the fibreboard only. 

Home-Based Solutions for Reducing Diaper Waste

Diapers currently account for almost 8% of collected waste in Orillia. That is the same weight as about 180 cars. When you choose to use cloth diapers, you are making a positive choice for the earth. Here are just a few of the environmental benefits of cloth:

  • Depending on the fabric used, cloth diapers can be reused from 50-200 times before being recycled into rags.
  • Cloth diapers can take less than 1 year to decompose; versus disposable diapers, which take about 500 years to decompose.
  • Using cloth means that baby's waste goes into the sewer system to be properly processed; not into a landfill where it can seep bacteria into our soil and groundwater.

When cared for properly, cloth diapers can be reused hundreds of times, and even passed onto younger siblings, making them a cost effective choice as well.

Visit the Parenting By Nature Boutique at 15 Cedar Pointe Drive, Unit 4 in Barrie, or search online at www.bynature.ca

Adult Diapers - Visit Babykins at www.babykins.com

 cloth diaper image  

Although the products may claim to be flushable, please do not flush diapers or diaper inserts down the toilet. They can clog sewers and damage pumping station equipment, which can lead to sewer back-ups. 

When diapers are placed out separately in clear plastic bags in Orillia, they do not require a garbage tag for collection. Maximum weight per bag is 20 kg (44 lb). 

Home-Based Solutions for Reducing Pet Waste

Doggie Dooley image Did you know that pet waste accounts for approximately 16% of collected waste in Orillia and is currently not accepted in Orillia's green bins?  That is the same weight as about 380 cars. Here are some tips on how you can reduce pet waste going to Orillia's landfill:
  • Home Digesters - Several products are on the market priced in the range of $100 to $150 including:
  • 'Doggie Dooley' (www.doggiedooley.com) - This is an underground special backyard composter that works like a small septic tank. Activator powder (containing enzymes) is needed to help maintain the composting process.
  • 'Bokashi Pet Cycle' (www.bokashicycle.com) - This product uses fermentation (pickling) of pet waste and an activator in a sealed container excluding oxygen to kill pathogens. It produces a nutrient-rich solution for plants.
  • A separate backyard composter could be used for pet waste, however, the end product cannot be used on vegetable gardens or near anything that will be eaten.  The compost can be placed on trees and flowers as long as proper gloves are worn and children and pets are kept away from freshly fertilized beds in case there are remaining pathogens like heartworms and salmonella.          

Pet waste including cat litter and bedding material should not be flushed down the toilet. Cat litter contains clay particles that clog sewers and damage pumping station equipment, which can lead to sewer back-ups.

LCBO Deposit-Return Program for Wine, Beer and Spirits Containers

A refundable deposit is charged on all wine, beer and spirits purchased at LCBO and Ontario winery/distillery stores in containers larger than 100 ml. The deposits apply to glass and plastic bottles, Tetra Pak cartons, aluminum cans and Bag-in-Box containers, and range from 10 cents to 20 cents depending on container size and type. These deposits are fully refundable if you return the empty containers with all of the labels still on the containers to any Beer Store outlet.

Residents are encouraged to participate in this deposit-return program. Not only will it help increase and improve recycling rates, especially for glass bottles, there will also be more space inside your recycling box for other items. Visit bagitback.ca for more information.

Mattress Recycling

Mattresses and box springs are accepted from businesses and residents of Orillia at the Waste Diversion Site located at 100 Kitchener Street in Orillia. The fee is $15 per unit (regardless of size).  Mattresses are sent off-site to be recycled.

Please note; if you suspect or have confirmed that the mattresses and box springs you are dropping off contain bed bugs, please inform Waste Diversion Site staff at the Scalehouse. For the protection of our workers, please wrap bed bug infested mattresses and box springs in a plastic liner or bag.

Old Paint and Paint Cans

Empty metal paint cans (1 gallon/4 litre or smaller) and lids can be placed in your Recycling Box for containers for recycling. The cans must be completely empty with the lids off.

Full or partially full paint cans and aerosol paint cans should NOT be put in the Recycling Box NOR thrown in the garbage.  Residents can take these items to the Household Hazardous Waste Depot at the Waste Diversion Site, where the paint will be sent for recycling.  There is no charge for drop off. 

Plastic Film Recycling

Plastic shopping bags, clean milk bags and clean bread bags are accepted in the City's recycling program. Place these empty and clean items in one bag and tie that bag at the top.  Place the tied bag of bags in or beside your recycling box for paper.  Please do not include cheese/meat wrapping, stretch wrap, bubble wrap or crinkly plastic film.   These items are normally unclean and made of a different plastic that is not accepted in the City's recycling program.

Plastic Flower Pot Depot

Plastic flower pots are not accepted in Orillia's Recycling Box Program, however, they can be recycled elsewhere.  First, please check to see if you can return them to the Garden Centre you purchased the plants at. Residents of Orillia can also bring empty and clean plastic flower pots to the Waste Diversion Site for recycling at no charge. Limits may apply. Please no clay pots - plastic pots only. Orillia residents only.  Businesses and Township residents are not permitted to use this depot.

Styrofoam Recycling

Clean styrofoam packaging and trays can be placed in a bag and place with your Recycling Box for paper or place beside your Recycling Box. Large amounts of styrofoam can be placed in a clear plastic bag (Maximum Bag Size: 95 cm x 80cm). Construction insulation Styrofoam is not accepted.

Tips for a Waste-Free Christmas

Wrapping paper (excluding foil wrap) can be included for recycling with your newspaper. Here are some tips to reduce waste at Christmas:

  • Use reusable Christmas bags for gifts
  • Use newspaper or comics to wrap gifts
  • Wrap gifts in tea towels, blankets, fabric, scarves or tins
  • Save wrapping paper, ribbons and bows from this year to use for next Christmas
  • Save Christmas cards from this year to use as tags next year
  • Reduce the number of cards you send by e-mailing or calling those casual business acquaintances                                     
  • Give gifts that are durable and that people really need
  • Give gift certificates for a service (babysitting, massages, snow shoveling) or tickets to a local event (support community events)
  • Give gifts with the environment or wildlife in mind (e.g. bird feeders and seed)
  • Avoid gifts that are over-packaged
  • Avoid over-shopping for food that may go to waste
  • Don't use disposable dishes

Tips to help reduce odours in your garbage

  1. Use your green bin for food scraps. You can now include dairy products, cooked meat and bones.
  2. Use a rigid garbage container to store your garbage. Maximum weight is 20 kg or 44 lbs for set-out.
  3. Bring bagged diapers or tagged garbage directly to the Waste Diversion Site at 100 Kitchener St. for free drop-off. 
  4. Compost your pet waste in a separate backyard composter.

Tires

Tires off the rim can be dropped off free of charge at the Waste Diversion Site at 100 Kitchener Street. See our Fees & Items Accepted page for full details.

Ontario Tire Stewardship Logo

The City is part of the Ontario Tire Stewardship program, which ensures that the tires are recycled responsibly into new products such patio tiles, playground surfaces, rubberized asphalt, and rubber mulch. When you buy a new tire in Ontario, you pay a fee that covers the cost to recycle your old tire.

Visit the Ontario Tire Stewardship website to find the drop off location nearest you.

The Treasure Hunt Program

The Treasure Hunt Program runs on the 3rd Weekend of the month from May to October to encourage the recycling or re-use of large household items. It's like a community garage sale!! 

Leave unwanted but still useful household items at the curb after 5:00 p.m. on the Friday of the event weekend and remember to remove all uncollected items by Sunday at 11:00 p.m. (Note:  Residents who fail to remove uncollected "treasures" from the curb will be subject to fines pursuant to Chapter 877 of the City of Orillia Municipal Code - Solid Waste Management). Take items placed at the curb only.  Do not take any items from the lawn. All treasures are claimed in an "as is" condition.

Treasure Hunters:
-Take items placed at the curb only.
-Do not take any items from the lawn.
-All treasures are claimed in an "as is" condition.

Happy Treasure Hunting!

Where Can You Recycle Batteries?

Batteries should not be thrown out with your regular as they contain heavy metals and corrosive material that can leach into the ground. Spent household batteries (AA, AAA, D, button, etc.) and rechargeable batteries can be recycled at the numerous locations in and around Orillia at no charge. Please visit call2recyle.ca to find a location near you.

Hint:  Save your spent household batteries in a small container until you have enough to make a trip to one of these locations for recycling. Whenever possible, try using rechargeable or solar operated batteries instead.

Curbside Battery Collection

   

On the week following the change to Daylight Savings Time in November residents can set out spent household batteries (AA, AAA, D, button batteries, etc.) in sealed clear plastic bags (such as a Ziploc bag) and place it on top of your recycling box for paper. They will be picked up on your regular collection day and sent for recycling.

Residents are encouraged to replace batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms when you change your clocks ahead or behind.

Please note the curbside battery collection program does not include businesses and apartments that set out large roll-out carts.

Winter Recycling Collection

During winter months, if you don't have room on your driveway to place your Recycling Boxes and Green Bin, please cut a notch halfway up in the snow bank at the right edge of your driveway (when facing the
road).  Place your recycling boxes and green bin on this notch. This will greatly help the collectors and avoid damage to your Recycling Boxes and Green Bin from snow clearing equipment.

Wrapping Paper Recycling

Please be aware that coloured wrapping paper (gift wrap) can be recycled with newspaper in the City of Orillia's recycling program. Wrapping paper (including tissue paper) may be placed with your regular mixed paper Recycling Box (newspapers, flyers, magazines, etc.) for setout. Larger amounts can be placed in clear plastic bags for setout. Please do not include foil wrap (i.e., foil coated paper), waxed paper, soiled paper, facial tissues, or paper towels. Soiled paper, facial tissues, and paper towels (free of hygiene products) can be included in your green bin.

Although wrapping paper is now recyclable, below are some suggestions on how you can reduce your gift wrapping waste:

  • Give gifts in bags, boxes, and tins that can be reused for many years.
  • Save wrapping paper, ribbons and bows to use again.
  • Avoid gifts that are over-packaged if alternatives exist.
  • Create your own wrapping paper by reusing paper products such as newspapers or comics.
  • Consider giving gifts that require little to no wrapping, such as gift certificates, concert tickets, memberships, etc.

We attempt to make our website documents accessible, however, some of these documents may not completely meet the AODA accessibility requirements. If you require assistance or communication support, please contact 705-326-1502.

© City of Orillia, 50 Andrew Street South, Suite 300, Orillia, Ontario, L3V 7T5, Tel: (705) 325-1311, Fax: (705) 325-5178, Email: help@orillia.ca

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