Apartment and Townhouse Collection

We provide large rolling blue bins for the entire site to use. At some large apartment and townhouse sites, we also provide a large cardboard bin designated to take broken down boxes. We mark the bins to help you sort your recycling. Ask your building manager for a free recycling tote bag. It will help you sort and carry material to your recycling area.

Accepted materials

Place all containers in the container blue bin. Rinse all food containers. Make sure there is no grease, liquids or food in them.

• Aluminum drink cans
• Aluminum foil and trays 
• Empty paint and aerosol cans (lids removed)
• Glass bottles and jars
• Juice boxes (no straws)
• Milk cartons
• Plastic bakery and cookie trays
• Plastic bottles
• Plastic egg cartons
• Plastic fruit and vegetable containers
• Plastic takeout food containers
• Single-serve yogurt and pudding cups
• Spiral containers
• Steel food and drink cans
• Toiletry bottles

Place all paper products in the paper blue bin.

• Boxboard and cardboard - broken down and flattened, into the available bin at your site 
• Catalogues, magazines and phonebooks
• Junk mail and envelopes
• Newspaper
• Office and computer paper
• Shredded paper (place inside a smaller box, such as a cereal box)
• Soft-covered books (such as paperbacks)

Unacceptable materials

• Food or beverage pouches
• Hangers
• Motor oil containers
• Plastic bags
• Plastic straws or cutlery
• Propane or helium cylinders
• Tupperware-type containers
• Motor oil containers

Where does your recycling go?

We take all blue box materials to the Durham Region Material Recovery Facility in Whitby. The facility sorts more than 47,000 tonnes of recyclables every year. We sell the sorted material to recycling markets. Watch our recycling video to see the process in action.

Put your garbage in the onsite bins. Furniture and large item collection is by appointment only. Your building manager makes these appointments.

Accepted materials

• All food waste
• Coffee cups
• Coffee pods
• Diapers
• Feminine hygiene products
• Filters
• Juice and food pouches
• Pet waste
• Plant trays
• Plastic bags
• Plastic plates, cups and cutlery
• Snack bags and wrappers
• Styrofoam food trays
• Toys
• Wipes
• Wooden fruit boxes

Learn how your garbage is processed.

Accepted materials

• Standard A, AA, AAA, C, D (standard or heavy duty) batteries
• 6-volt batteries
• 9-volt batteries
• Button cell batteries
• Rechargeable battery packs (NiCad, NiMH, or lithium ion)

Unaccepted materials

• Automotive batteries
• Damaged, leaking or wet cell batteries
• Industrial batteries

Drop off unacceptable batteries at a waste management facility.

Safe battery storage

Store batteries in a cool, dry place. Store them away from any flammable materials. In storage, battery terminals should not touch conductive materials. Cover the terminals on 9-volt batteries before storing them. 

Some buildings have an electronic recycling program. Participating buildings have special collection bins in the building. Ask your building manager if your building takes part in the program.

Accepted materials

• 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)

Do you have old or torn clothing? Participating buildings have special clothing donation boxes. Ask your building manager if your building has a program.

Accepted materials

• All clothing, even ripped or torn items
• Bedding and towels
• Sleeping bags
• Belts and ties
• Drapes, scraps and anything else that is a textile/cloth

Property owners, managers and superintendents set the tone and play a vital role in supporting the waste diversion programs so they operate efficiently and effectively.

• Make the waste diversion programs easier and more convenient than garbage.
• Create a place where residents can recycle paper, containers, cardboard and set-up batteries and electronics (if possible) close to garbage bins.
• Request enough bins/carts for the collection and storage based on anticipated amounts of material generated. Don’t let them overflow.
• Make collection easy. Ensure your bins/carts are clean, clearly labeled and in good condition. Contact Durham Region if you need to replace damaged bins/carts.
• Keep employees and residents well informed about your waste diversion programs, practices and any changes. Keep your program promotional materials (posters, labels, etc.) up-to-date and contact the Region if they need replacing.

Indoor Recycling Stations

Indoor recycling stations are places inside the building where residents can drop off their recyclables. Depending on your property’s layout, you may need more than one indoor recycling station. Recycling station(s) could be in garbage chute rooms, laundry rooms, main floor garbage rooms, lobby, parking garage – anywhere to make recycling convenient and easy. Consider who your residents are, how they move through and enter/exit the building. For example, if there are lots of seniors in buildings, consider having recycling stations on each floor.

An ideal indoor recycling station is:

• located in a convenient area that will help residents make recycling part of their daily routine
• open to residents everyday so they do not have to store recyclables in their unit
• large enough to store and move around the recycling cart/bins
• large enough to handle future expansion of the program
• safe, clean and well lit
• well-promoted - ensure signs are posted, and labels are on the carts. This will help residents sort material correctly
• when possible, monitor regularly with CCTV
• all fire code regulations are met

Outdoor Recycling Stations

Outdoor recycling stations are used at properties with no place for indoor recycling stations. Having recycling stations outside may make it difficult for residents to recycle, especially in the winter, so it is important they are located and designed correctly.

Consider the following when locating an outdoor recycling station:

• keep it close to the building exits
• store carts/bins on a concrete or asphalt surface to enable easy movement by building and collection staff
• if space is limited, keep a minimum number of carts/bins at a distance from the building and change them as they become full
• if possible, build a shelter to protect containers and residents from the elements. Roofed shelters will prevent snow build-up in the winter on top and around the containers. This will also reduce maintenance for staff. Check with your local municipal by-laws.
• place recycling carts/bins in close proximity to the garbage bins so residents only need one trip to manage their waste.
• install outdoor signage so residents easily distinguish cart/bins for paper and containers. Signs are available upon request from the Region.

Without enough recycling carts:

• recyclables will be placed beside or around the recycling carts/bins
• recycling stations will be messy and difficult to use
• you/building staff will have to clean up more litter
• residents may be discouraged and stop recycling
• collection crews may not be able to get to the carts/bins to empty them

Too few recycling containers at a site creates problems. Following a simple “best practices” guideline of one 95 gallon (360 litre) recycling container for every seven (7) units has proven to be effective for most properties’ needs. A six (6) yard bin for every 100 units for newspaper, cardboard and boxboard also alleviates issues for sites. The total number of recycling containers vary from property to property. Ask for an assessment by Region staff if you feel your site requires more containers.

How to make sure the recycling carts are collected:

• set out recycling bins/carts by 7 a.m. on your collection day. Truck routes may change so it is important to set out the carts on time.
• ensure collection crews can easily access the containers. Be sure to remove locks, get parked cars moved, clear away snow and ice, remove bulky items and any loose materials that may block collection.
• clear away over hanging branches and report low hanging wires. Recycling trucks are top loading and require plenty of overhead clearance.
• remove any contamination. If a cart contains a lot of unacceptable materials, the driver will leave the whole cart behind.
• notify the Region if your site will have construction or other access issues.

Ways to encourage residents to recycle more:

• provide residents with easy access to recycling carts/bins so that they can recycle daily
• post signs that remind residents to recycle and tell them where the containers are located
• change signs as needed - they should look up-to-date and fresh looking
• distribute up-to-date recycling program information to all residents
• invite Durham Region staff to talk to residents about recycling
• invite Durham Region staff to set up a lobby display with recycling information

Additional recycling programs are available to approved buildings. These programs include:

• Electronic recycling
• Battery recycling
• Used clothing and textiles recycling