The City’s 27th annual Community Environment Days start on Saturday, April 7. These events, hosted by local Toronto City Councillors, encourage the correct and safe disposal of waste, promote the reuse of materials through donations, and provide residents with an opportunity to learn about waste diversion, water conservation and other environmental initiatives.
Community Environment Days allow residents to safely dispose of items that do not belong in the City’s Blue Bin recycling or Green Bin organics waste diversion programs. These include items such as household hazardous waste, home healthcare waste and electronic waste. The events also provide an opportunity to bring specific items for donation to local schools and shelters. Free compost is available for pickup, to a maximum of one average car trunk load per household. Residents are also encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for local food banks.
“Community Environment Days are an opportunity for residents to participate in the City’s waste diversion programs and learn how they can do their part to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills by properly disposing of or donating items,” said Councillor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25 Don Valley West), Chair of the City’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee.
“Improper disposal of items such as household hazardous waste, healthcare waste, textiles and electronics is a huge problem in the city,” said Jim McKay the City’s General Manager of Solid Waste Management Services. “In 2016, approximately 52,000 tonnes of materials was incorrectly placed in Blue Bin recycling and there continues to be a high percentage of material in the garbage that could have been diverted from landfill. Through education, policies and programs such as Community Environment Days, the City promotes and educate people on reuse, recycling and proper waste disposal.”
Community Environment Days are a partnership between the City’s Solid Waste Management Services, Environment and Energy, and Toronto Water divisions, and Orange Drop, Ontario’s Municipal Hazardous and Special Waste program.
Event dates and lists of approved items for drop-off and donation is available at http://www.toronto.ca/environment_days or call 311.
This news release is also available on the City’s website: http://ow.ly/6rlf30jdCd1.
Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TorontoComms, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.
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