Durham Region reminds residents not to use clear or blue plastic bags when setting out recyclable materials

Whitby, Ontario – The Region of Durham, Works Department, is launching a new outreach campaign to remind residents that recyclables in clear or blue plastic or clear bags are not accepted in Durham’s recycling program.

The campaign, which began on February 17, includes waste collectors marking recycling in plastic bags with a yellow sticker to remind residents to use Blue Boxes for recycling. The campaign goal is to discourage the use of plastic bags for recycling.   

“We’re seeing a significant increase in the number of residents using clear or blue plastic bags rather than Blue Boxes for their recyclable materials,” said Peter Veiga, Supervisor of Waste Management and Operations. “The problem is, plastic bags impact our operations.”

At the recycling facility, these bags can get caught in the sorting process and damage the equipment. Further, since single-use plastic bags are not recyclable, it creates excess garbage and contaminates other valuable recyclable materials, decreasing the value of recycling commodities. This also means that costs increase, as the materials must now be disposed of as garbage.

Often the recycling in plastic bags is not sorted between paper products and containers, or the bags include items that are not recyclable, which further diminishes the value of the recyclable materials.

“We want to thank our residents for being committed to helping us reduce waste by recycling,” continued Mr. Veiga. “Avoiding the use of plastic bags will help to save costs and protect the environment.”

For more recycling tips and information, like how to pack and sort your blue boxes and where to place an item you’re unsure of, visit durham.ca/Waste, call us at 1-800-667-5671 or use our Know Before You Throw tool available at durham.ca/KnowBeforeYouThrow. For information on receiving new bins, or replacing broken blue boxes or green bins, visit durham.ca/WasteBins. Some local municipal offices may also exchange broken blue boxes. Contact your local area municipality for details.

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For more information, please contact Corporate Communications.