Environment Days are back!

Whitby, Ontario – Mark your calendar and join us for Environment Days. The Region of Durham, in partnership with the area municipalities, is inviting residents to drop off items for reuse, recycling and safe disposal.

When and where:

• Saturday, April 26 from 8 a.m. to noon (rain or shine), Ajax Operations Centre, 800 Salem Road North, Ajax
  
  
• Saturday, August 16 from 8 a.m. to noon (rain or shine), Clarington Operations Depot 42, 178 Darlington-Clarke Townline Road, Bowmanville (south of Highway 2)
  
  
• Saturday, September 20 from 8 a.m. to noon (rain or shine), Uxbridge Seniors Centre (parking lot), 75 Marietta Street, Uxbridge
  
  
• Saturday, October 18 from 8 a.m. to noon (rain or shine), Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex (rear parking lot), 1867 Valley Farm Road, Pickering

Why: Get ready to make a difference. Durham Region’s Environment Days support 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.

Donate items for reuse

Residents can donate for reuse, including clean, dry and odourless clothing and textiles, shoes, bedding and small household items and sporting goods in working condition. For a complete list visit durham.ca/WasteEvents. Materials refused by charities must be removed by residents and may be disposed of at one of the Region’s waste management facilities. Standard fees may apply.

Recycle your electronic waste

Residents can also safely recycle their end-of-life electronic waste at Environment Days, which helps to recover and recycle valuable resources while keeping toxic materials out of the waste stream. Examples of electronic waste include cell phones, audio and video players, VCRs, DVD and Blu-Ray players, stereos, computers, televisions, cameras, radios and more. Residents should erase personal information from hard drives and SIM cards before bringing their obsolete, broken and end-of-life electronics for safe and secure recycling.

Safely dispose of household hazardous waste

To help ensure household hazardous waste (HHW) items are safely managed, and to prevent toxic materials from entering local ecosystems and water sources, residents can also bring HHW items to the Environment Days event. Examples of HHW include antifreeze, batteries, brake fluid, motor oil and filters, fluorescent light bulbs and tubes, cooking oil, medication, mercury thermostats and more. Commercial, institutional, agricultural, or industrial waste is not permitted.

Note: 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).

For more information, including tips for preparing to attend a collection event, please visit durham.ca/WasteEvents or download the Durham Region Waste App.

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