Five recycling mistakes you can avoid

1. Take-out coffee cups

Coffee cups don’t belong in the blue box. The plastic lining that prevents them from leaking also makes them unsuitable for recycling.

2. Plastic bags

Durham Region doesn’t accept plastic bags. Residents are advised instead to return them to retailers participating in the Plastic Bag Take-Back program.

3. Soiled cardboard

Paperboard and cardboard containers or packaging that have been soiled with food should be thrown in the green bin rather than the blue box. Contaminated paper products in your blue box can affect other recyclables and degrade the quality of any end products made from these materials.

4. Glass

Not all glass is accepted in your blue box. Food and beverage bottles and jars are fine, but ceramic dishes or glass, mirrors, Pyrex, light bulbs and window glass cannot be recycled curbside.

5. Propane and helium tanks

Propane tanks, small camping canisters, small and large barbecue tanks, helium tanks or canisters of any size are considered hazardous waste even when empty, regardless of supplier claims. Dispose of your household hazardous waste at any of the Region’s waste management facilities, or visit MakeTheDrop.ca for nearby retail collection locations that accept these items.

Not sure where it goes? Let us help you! Visit durham.ca/KnowBeforeYouThrow for more information.