How To Recycle Properly In Kawartha Lakes

I have been known to be a bit of a recycling tyrant- “Hey did you just throw that in the garbage?”

*takes can out and put’s in recycle while muttering under breath*

Well I guess I should not have been such a tyrant because as it turns out- I was doing it all wrong- and not just the heckling.

When I first moved back here and actually gave a darn about my effects on the health of the planet I was pleasantly surprised to see the Kawartha Lakes recycled all plastics from 1 through 7- something my previous municipality did not do.

Sweet I can recycle everything! 

I put on my hero shirt and felt really good about doing my part and I recycled as much as possible. I got so into recycling I went to the city’s waste workshop, and that is the day I realized I had been dishonouring my hero shirt.

(insert price is right losing sound)

As it turns out not everything is recyclable, infact if it is not on the list of recyclables on our handy dandy waste calendar provided by the CKL- it is not recyclable, even though we recycle all numbers of plastics, if it does not have a number on it- it is not recyclable. If it is not clean it is not recyclable, and if the lid is still on it is not recyclable!

In the City of Kawartha Lakes our plastic recycling is trucked to North Umberland County to a sorting plant, and everything that is rejected is shipped back to a landfill.

So if I'm not recycling properly I'm actually creating more garbage and more CO2!

Here are a few things I thought were recyclable but are not

Blue Bin Don't

plastic containers without numbers 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 
toothpaste tubes 
chip bags 
fast food cold drink cups (goes in green bin)
cheese wrapping 
cereal bags
  straws 
 plastic cutlery 
Keurig single serving cups 
 dog food bags 
bubble wrap 
motor oil or anti freeze jugs 
packing peanuts 
Light bulbs • mirrors • dish or window glass •metal pots/pans • coat hangers • vhs tapes • tarps • solar pool covers • toys or other large plastic items that do not fit in box •  styrofoam insulation 

Green Bin Don't
Receipts 

flour bag/dog food bag
paper towel/ facial tissue 
shipping envelopes with bubble liner 
polaroid’s 
biodegradable paper products 
peat pots 
clementine boxes 
fibre contaminated with motor oil or pet waste 
metallic wrapping paper

Orange Box Don't

unknown materials • leaking or open containers

• fireworks • flares • ammunition • explosives

Blue Bin Do

Glass jars • milk/juice polycoat containers • tetra packs • fibre coffee cups and fibre ice cream containers • cans • pie plates • take out containers • foil baking pans • aluminum foil • plastic bags (sandwich, grocery, frozen food, milk, dry cleaning) • clean plastic wrap • empty aerosol cans • empty paint cans • plastic containers with 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 on them • plant and flower pots • large plastic pails(up to 5g) • plant trays and cells • foam (cups, plates, take out containers, food trays, egg cartons)

Green Bin Do

Newspapers • insert flyers • photographs • catalogues • magazines • phone books • mail • writing paper • envelopes (including window envelopes) • brown paper bags • fibre egg cartons • toilet/paper towel rolls • non-metallic wrapping paper • greeting cards • gift bags (rope, metal handles or other decals removed) • boxboard (cereal, cracker, detergent, drug, shoe, gift and tissue boxes) • cardboard • clean pizza boxes • soft cover books • telephone books

Orange Box Do

paint • solvents • batteries • pressurized cylinders • fertilizers and pesticides • anti freeze coolant • empty oil containers • oil filters • cleaners • shampoos • soaps • detergents • fire detectors • automotive products • swimming pool chemicals • fire extinguishers • photography chemicals • liquid glues • metal halide lamps • thermometers • thermostats • ultraviolet lamps • fluorescent tubes and bulbs (CFLs) • flea/tick products • rat poison • wood preservatives • hair dye • hairspray • hydrogen peroxide • jewellery cleaner • nail polish and remover • perm lotion or solution • rubbing alcohol • lighter fluid

Kawartha Lakes Waste Information

Containers must be rinsed and free of residue to recycle
Remove caps and lids
Recycling in clear bags will not be collected

Cardboard needs to be broken down into manageable sized pieces

2 bag weekly limit (40lbs max per bag)
No limit on recyclables

Other Facts

Tires, hazardous waste, leaf and yard waste, scrap metal, and E Waste are free to dispose of at the landfill

Anything 50% or more metal is considered scrap metal

Staples accepts empty print cartridges

Terra Cycle recycles cigarette butts




Have you been 'wishcycling'?

Thanks for reading my blog!

Julia Taylor

@soGREENithurts

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