Young girl holding hands with green bin and blue box mascots at event

Special Events in Waste Management

Home Living Here Garbage and RecyclingSpecial Events in Waste Management

The Region of Durham offers various giveaway and waste events throughout the year, including Curbside Giveaway Days, Environment Days and Compost Giveaway Events.

Curbside Giveaway Days

Curbside Giveaway Day events are organized in cooperation with the local municipalities, where residents place unwanted items in good condition—clearly marked FREE—on their curb for anyone to pick up. At the end of the Giveaway Day, residents return unclaimed items to their home.

Please ensure items whether new or used, are safe and meet current regulatory requirements. It is important to only place items that are in good condition. The Region is not responsible for quality of items placed out for the Curbside Giveaway Day.

2026 Spring Event:

TBD

Rules and Guidelines

Mark all the items you wish to give away as “free” and secure the labels with tape.
Remember to obey all traffic laws and watch for children.
Do not block traffic, sidewalks, or place items on the road.
Do not trespass on other people’s property, block other people’s driveways or park illegally.

Clean and disinfect tables and items prior to the swap.
Clothing or other fabric items should be laundered prior to the giveaway. We also recommend laundering any clothing you have acquired.
For additional guidance: Facts for Garage Sale Vendors - Canada.ca.

Acceptable Items

Please clean and disinfect all items prior to the swap.

Appliances
Bicycles
Tools
Furniture
Books/movies/DVDs
Kitchen utensils
Building materials
Computers and electronics
Yard and garden equipment
Clothes
Usable paint
Sporting goods
Musical instruments
Plants, potted trees, etc.
Other durable goods

Unacceptable Items

Please do not put out any items with a potential safety risk.

Opened or used Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Garbage or recyclables
Chemicals of any kind
Weapons of any kind
Food items
Mattresses (potential for bedbug infestation)
Broken furniture
Dangerous/illegal items
Car/booster seats
Baby gates and walkers
Cribs/cradles

Check for consumer product recalls posted by Health Canada.

Unclaimed Items

Please remove items remaining at the curb by 7 p.m.
Material left at the curb after the Curbside Giveaway Day will be subject to by-law enforcement.
Unwanted items that are in good condition can be posted in a local buy and sell group.
Listed below are only some organizations and charities in Durham that accept gently used items for donation. Please contact the organization in advance to ensure it accepts materials or items you’d like to donate. There are many grassroots organizations working to support others, we encourage residents to explore available options.

Compost Giveaway Events

Green Bins and backyard composters will not be available at these events. Purchase new Green Bins, kitchen containers or backyard composters or exchange broken Green Bins and kitchen containers online with free home delivery.

Collected leaf and yard waste is processed into nutrient-rich compost. In the spring, residents are invited to our complimentary compost giveaways. Quantities are first-come, first served and limited to four reusable containers of compost per vehicle.

What should I bring?

Shovels: residents are responsible for shoveling their own compost.
Containers: blue boxes, reusable containers, yard waste bags.

Residents are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item, to be donated to a local food bank (please check that boxes and cans are not damaged, opened or expired).

Event Dates: Events are done for the year. Please check back for 2026 dates.

Environment Days

Drop off items for reuse, recycling and safe disposal at Environment Days.

Donate items in good condition for reuse

We accept:

Clothing and textiles in all conditions, please wash before donating
Shoes and accessories
Home decor, bedding and linens
Games, toys, puzzles and sporting goods

We do not accept:

Garbage
Household hazardous waste
Electronics
Furniture
Cribs, high chairs, strollers and all other baby equipment
Renovation material

Charities have the right to refuse materials. Unaccepted materials are your responsibility. You can bring unaccepted materials to a waste management facility. Fees will apply.

Recycle your electronic waste

We accept:

Display devices (televisions and monitors)
Drones
Home audio/video systems
Desktop computers
Home theatre in-a-box systems
Cameras and security cameras
Vehicle audio/video systems (aftermarket)
Portable Computers
Personal/portable audio/video systems
Musical instruments and recording equipment
Video gaming systems and peripherals
Computer peripherals (routers, cables, chargers, USB)
Desktop printing/multi-function devices, 3D printers and printer cartridges
Phones (telephones, cellular & smart phone devices, pagers)

Safely dispose of your Household Hazardous Waste

We accept:

Anti-freeze
Batteries
Car batteries
Cooking oil
Compressed cylinders
Fluorescent lamps and energy efficient, compact light bulbs (CFLs)
Fuel (non-transferable)
Household chemicals and cleaners
Lawn and garden chemicals
Medicine
Mercury thermostats
Motor oil
Paints and solvents
Pool chemicals
Propane tanks
Syringes (contained in a sealed puncture-proof container)
Waxes and polishes

Tips for attending:

Pack HHW in sturdy cardboard boxes so that it does not spill during transport.
Put like chemicals together.
Separate different chemicals.
Do not mix products together.
Label materials that are not in their original containers.
Make sure containers are not leaking and lids are tightly sealed.
Place boxes in your car trunk, on a plastic sheet.
Place it away from passengers.
At the event, staff will ask you to remain in your car while they remove the HHW from your trunk.

2025 Event Dates: Events are done for the year. Please check back for 2026 dates.

October is Circular Economy Month

During Waste Reduction Week (October 20 to 26), residents are invited to pick up to five free bags of compost while supplies last at the Waste Management Centre, located at 4600 Garrard Road, Whitby. Compost is available Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Regional Municipality of Durham is celebrating Circular Economy Month this October. The Circular Innovation Council has extended Waste Reduction Week in Canada beyond the third week of October into Circular Economy Month to educate and excite Canadians about the opportunities and benefits of the circular economy.

The third week of October will continue as Waste Reduction Week (WRW), with daily themes related to specific waste streams and the waste reduction component of a circular economy. The primary goal of the week is to celebrate environmental efforts and achievements while encouraging innovative new ideas and solutions.

Daily Themes:

Construction Monday
Textiles Tuesday
Electronics Wednesday
Plastics Thursday
Food Friday
Share, Reuse, Repair Weekend

Throughout the year, the Region supports residents in their waste reduction efforts by promoting the five “Rs” (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover). These principles guide our programs and services designed to make waste management easier and more sustainable for everyone.

We collect food waste and other organic materials through our Green Bin program. All green bin material is processed using Anaerobic Digestion, a method that produces biogas, renewable natural gas, and digestate, a nutrient rich natural fertilizer.

In addition, we collect leaf and yard waste as well as Christmas trees, all of which are turned into compost. Residents can pick up this compost for free at our spring compost giveaway events.

We also help residents safely dispose of household items through various initiatives:

Battery Collection: We pick up batteries at the curb twice a year, in the spring and fall. Thanks to our community's participation, we earned a Guinness World Record in 2012 for the most batteries collected in a 24-hour period. Durham earned this distinction by collecting an incredible 11,288 pounds (almost 5,120 kilograms) of batteries.
Environment Days: These events offer drop-off opportunities for items that can be reused, recycled or safely disposed of.
Curbside Giveaway Days: Residents can leave unwanted items in good condition at the curb for others to take and reuse.
Hazardous Waste Drop-off locations: We offer free drop-off sites for household hazardous waste, including paint, solvents, cleaners, batteries, pesticides, fertilizers, propane tanks, fluorescent bulbs and tubes, motor oil and antifreeze. The Oshawa Waste Management Facility operates a paint reuse centre promoting the reuse of paints and stains. Residents can drop off or collect high-quality reusable paints and stains at no cost.

The Region also joined the Circular Innovation Council's Share, Reuse, Repair Hub. This initiative helps keep materials in use for as long as possible by encouraging residents to swap, resell, and donate products they no longer need. Be sure to check the hub for reuse resources and opportunities to extend the life of everyday items.

The Region, together with our residents, is committed to supporting the circular economy and will continue to deliver innovative waste reduction, diversion, and disposal programs to meet the needs of our growing population. The 2022 to 2040 Long-term Waste Management Plan (Waste Plan) is focused on rethinking and reducing the waste we create, managing resources and finding opportunities to create energy from waste.

To learn more about Circular Economy month, visit CircularEconomyMonth.ca.