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

Special Events in Waste Management

Home Living HereSpecial Events in Waste Management

The Region of Durham hosts many community special events that take place all year.

Curbside Giveaway Day Pilot

Did you take part in the Curbside Giveaway this past weekend (September 16)? We'd love to hear feedback about your participation by filling out this brief survey.

Curbside Giveaway Day is a pilot project event organized in cooperation with the local municipalities, where residents in participating municipalities 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.

This is a great opportunity to declutter and find a new home for your unwanted items, while also picking up something you may want or need for free.

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. Damaged items should be discarded. The Region is not responsible for quality of items placed out for the Curbside Giveaway Day.

When is the Curbside Giveaway?
Saturday, September 16
7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

(Rain date)
Saturday, September 23
7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Participating Municipalities

Town of Ajax
Township of Brock
Municipality of Clarington
City of Pickering
Township of Scugog
Township of Uxbridge
Town of Whitby

Please note, the City of Oshawa will not be participating in the Curbside Giveaway pilot project and encourages community members to explore reuse opportunities by visiting oshawa.ca/WasteReduction.

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

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 blue boxes of compost per vehicle.

Green bins, blue boxes, blue box lids and backyard composters will also be available for purchase (VISA, Mastercard, debit or e-transfer only), and broken bins can be exchanged for free.

What should I bring?

Shovels: residents are responsible for shovelling 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).

2023 Event dates - events are finished for the year

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:

Acids and alkalines
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.

2023 Event dates (subject to change):

Saturday, September 9 - City of Pickering

Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex (parking lot)

1867 Valley Farm Road, Pickering

8 a.m. to noon

Saturday, September 16 - Township of Uxbridge

Uxbridge Seniors Centre (parking lot)

75 Marietta Street, Uxbridge

8 a.m. to noon

Saturday, September 23 - Municipality of Clarington

Clarington Operations Depot 42

178 Darlington-Clarke Townline Road, Bowmanville

8 a.m. to noon

October is Circular Economy Month

John Henry, Regional Chair and CEO has proclaimed the month of October as Circular Economy Month.

This proclamation shows the Region of Durham’s continued commitment to transitioning to a circular economy and prioritizing waste reduction in our community. While the Circular Innovation Council will roll out various themes and activities throughout the month to educate Canadians about the opportunities and benefits of the circular economy, Waste Reduction Week will continue to be highlighted during the third week of October.

What is a circular economy?

The future of waste management in Durham Region includes a circular economy, a model which retains and recovers as much value as possible from resources by reusing, repairing, refurbishing, remanufacturing, or repurposing products and materials before they are recycled or thrown out.

A circular economy encourages consumers and users of resources to think about what will happen to a product before we buy it; to consider waste as a resource instead of a cost, and finding innovative ways to better the environment and the economy.

Throughout the year, the Region supports residents in their waste reduction efforts by promoting the five “Rs” (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover), collecting materials such as textiles and e-waste at Waste Management facilities. Special events are also held throughout the region, including annual reuse days and compost giveaways.

To learn more about Waste Reduction Week in Canada, visit WRWcanada.com. For more information about waste reduction in Durham Region, visit durham.ca/waste.