Recycling

The County of Brant Recycling Program

Did you know …?

• County of Brant residents are able to put all of their acceptable blue box materials together loose, or co-mingled, into their blue box. No sorting of materials is required. The table below lists examples of materials which “Do” and materials which “Do Not” go into the County of Brant blue box.

• Recycling markets are commodity markets, driven by the supply and demand of products made from recycled materials. By purchasing products with “post-consumer” recycled content, you will be creating greater demand for the materials which go in your blue box. You will also be creating a demand for new products containing post-consumer recycled content. This helps to create a self-sustaining, circular program.

• The blue box recycling program is currently funded in part by the County and by the “producers and first importers” of the packaged foods and household products that you use every day. For more information on upcoming changes to the blue box program, visit www.rpra.ca.

• The collection and processing of acceptable blue box materials transforms those materials into new products. This helps to extend the life of our landfill, which is both an environmentally and financially positive practice to adopt and promote. Take the time to educate yourself about what materials are acceptable in our blue box program. See the table below.

• “Not everyone knows that Ontario is the birthplace of the Blue Box. The world’s first curbside recycling program made its official debut in Kitchener in 1981. Since then, Ontario’s Blue Box has become a blueprint for recycling programs in more than 150 countries around the world, and has received awards for its healthy curbside appetite.” Full story at https://stewardshipontario.ca

• Recycle right! When you place a non-recyclable item in the blue box, it simply goes on a long and expensive trip to a landfill.  Contamination in the blue box only reduces the effectiveness of the recycling program.  For examples of the types of products that are made from your acceptable blue box materials, please visit www.rpra.ca.

• Remember, the 3Rs - Reduce Reuse and Recycle, all contribute to waste diversion. We all have the choice of purchasing items that use less packaging (Reduce), or buying items that can be used again (Reuse), or thirdly to Recycle materials rather than dispose of them. With these three options available to us, we all have some control over the effectiveness and the costs of our municipal waste management programs.

• Blue boxes ($6.00) and Composters ($15.00) are available at all County of Brant Customer Service Offices and at the Waste Management Facilities.

• Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. Composting generates a nutrient rich soil amendment, is easy to do, and your lawn and garden will love it.

Blue box collection Dos and Don’ts:

• Do… have your materials placed at the curbside by 7:00 am on your collection day to ensure collection.

• Do… try to put out your blue boxes only when they are full.

• Do… remember to check the County of Brant website regularly for changes to the blue box program.

• Do… Watch the weather!  Bring your blue box out the morning of your collection day (by 7:00 am), to avoid materials getting wet overnight by rain and snow, or the contents getting blown around by wind.

• Do… secure cardboard that is too big to fit loose in the blue box with masking tape, packing tape or light string. (Maximum bundle size is 0.8 m x 0.8 m x 0.25 m (32” x 32” x 10”).)

• Do… remember that there is no charge to take your acceptable blue box materials to the either of the County of Brant Waste Management Facilities during regular operating hours.

• Don’t… place your blue box up on top of a snow bank. It should be placed at the end of your driveway, so that the collection crews can access it quickly and efficiently.

• Don’t… put empty oil, anti-freeze, herbicide, pesticide or other hazardous waste containers in your blue box. Please visit www.makethedrop.ca or www.productcare.org for other local disposal outlets for your ‘Municipal Hazardous or Special Wastes’ (MHSW).  If paint cans are empty and dry, with lids removed, they can be placed in the blue box.