Cart recycling for multi-unit buildings and schools

Who is eligible?

What goes in?

This program recycles the same items as our curbside Blue Box program, just sorted into multiple carts instead of boxes. 

Blue "Containers" cart accepts the following types of packaging that contained a food, beverage, cleaning, personal or pet care product at the point of purchase:  

• Cartons, such as drinking boxes, milk or juice cartons
• Glass bottles and jars
• Metal cans, including empty and dry paint cans, empty aerosol cans
• Paper cups, such as take-out coffee cups
• Plastic bottles, jars, clamshells, flower pots/trays, automotive fluid containers (antifreeze, windshield washer, etc.) with plastic identification symbols one through seven: 
• Also, aluminum foil trays and wrap

How to prepare:  Empty. Rinse. Do not bag - put in loose.

Learn how to deal with lids and labels.

No broken glass, dishware, light bulbs, containers with food, appliances and electronic waste, car parts, candy wrappers, chip bags, cardboard cans, coffee pods, clothes baskets and hangers, straws, Styrofoam, toys, wooden orange crates. COVID-19 update: If you are sick, please place any item that has come into contact with your face into the garbage.

Grey "Paper products and plastic bags" cart: 

• Paper, including newspaper, magazines, writing paper, envelopes, books, plain wrapping paper. Put in loose.
• Boxboard, including cereal, cracker, and tissue boxes, paper take-out trays, paper egg cartons, toilet paper tubes. Discard liner bags. Flatten boxes. Put in loose.
• Plastic bags and outer wrap, including grocery, shopping, produce, bread bags; milk outer and rinsed and dry inner bags. Plastic outer wrap from packages of paper towels, diapers, and cases of pop, etc. Stuff inside one bag and tie outer bag closed.

NO gloves, masks, sanitizing wipes, stand-up pouches, liner bags from cereal/cracker boxes and other bags that make a "crinkle" sound, bags that contained meat or cheese, mesh bags, bubble wrap, diapers, foil or plastic wrapping paper, bows, ribbons. No furnace filters. No diapers.

Grey "Corrugated Cardboard" cart:  Flatten and size corrugated cardboard to fit into the cart.

NO plastic bags, Styrofoam, metal/glass/plastic containers.

Collection schedule and rules

Please sort and prepare recyclables correctly. Carts containing unacceptable materials will not be collected.

• Empty and rinse all containers.
• Do not bag containers (cans, cartons, bottles and jars) - put them in the Containers cart loose.
• Do not bag paper (newspaper, magazines, books, flattened cereal and other boxes) - put them in the Paper Products and Plastic Bags cart loose.
• Put acceptable plastic bags and outer wrap in one bag, and tie the handles of the outer bag shut. Put this bag into the Paper Products and Plastic Bags cart.
• Flatten and size cardboard so it fits inside of the cart

Collection:

• Collection is once per week on your designated day. Contact our Call Centre at 519-575-4400 to find out your collection day.
• Ensure carts are ready by 7 a.m. on your designated collection day. 
• Clear snow and ice and ensure there are no parked cars blocking access.
• All carts for schools must be rolled to the street for safe collection.
• If you roll carts to the curb for collection, make sure they are half or more full of recyclables. This helps make collection more efficient.

Do you have a collection concern? Contact our Call Centre at 519-575-4400, available 24 hours a day, every day.

Tips and FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

• Put all recyclables inside the carts - do not leave items on top or outside of the carts. 
• If carts are stored outside, please close the lid after putting recyclables into the cart.
• Do not add your recyclables if the cart is already overflowing. Use a different, empty cart. (If you find all the carts are full, please contact your landlord or superintendent.)

Need more information?

• Contact our Call Centre at 519-575-4400, available 24 hours a day, every day.
• Refer to our Publications and Resources page.
• Landlords and Property Managers page.

Where does it go?

Recycling trucks drop off recyclables at our Nyle Ludolph Materials Recycling Centre (NLMRC), located at 925 Erb Street West (Gate 1), Waterloo. The NLMRC has two sections, one to receive receive Paper Products and Plastic Bags (including corrugated cardboard), and the other to receive all Containers.

Paper products and plastic bags are dropped off in the east side of the facility, and are loaded into large tractor trailers; we do not sort paper, and plastic bags. This material is shipped to Niagara Recycling, where it is further sorted and then sold to market.

The Containers are dropped off in the west side of the NLMRC, separated by material type, and shipped to different markets in southwestern Ontario, and northern and east south-central regions of the United States.

Ensuring recyclables are sorted properly is key to selling them to market. Early in 2018, China stopped receiving shipments of mixed recyclables. As a result, North American markets have been flooded with recyclables, tightening their requirements, and lowering their tolerance for contamination (unacceptable material).

The good news is that your your help in separating the right recyclables into the correct cart (Paper Products and Plastic Bags, Containers, and Corrugated Cardboard), we can produce marketable recyclables. For our materials to meet the demanding requirements and maximize revenues (to help offset program costs), everyone is responsible to do their part in sorting recyclables!

Who is eligible?

COVID-19 update:  If you are participating in this program, please place used tissues and paper napkins in the garbage, rather than the green cart. Thanks for helping to protect workers.

The Region's Organics Green Cart program is available to all public and private schools that receive our Blue and Grey Cart Recycling program.

Schools interested in participating are to contact their School Board. Upon approval by the School Board, the Region can provide a limited number of large green carts (with liners) that must be rolled out to the curb, initial one-time supply of residential-sized green bins (no liners) for internal collection, and collection service, at no charge.

Carts are required to be set on the street curb by 7 a.m. on your designated collection day. When emptied, carts will be re-lined by the waste collection crew with a certified compostable bag.

How to get on the program:

• Waterloo Region District School Board: Contact our Call Centre 519-575-4400 or by email.
• Waterloo Region Catholic School Board: Contact the Board's Energy Conservation Office at 519-578-3660.
• Other schools: Contact our Call Centre 519-575-4400 or by email.

Note:  The Region is running a Green Cart Organics pilot program for a few apartment buildings and townhouse complexes. The information below is applicable to those participating in the pilot. If you want more information about this pilot, please email us.

What goes in?

This program accepts the same materials as our Green Bin program.

COVID-19 update:  To help protect collection crews, please place used tissues and paper napkins in the garbage, rather than the green cart. Thanks for helping.

• All food scraps (remove all packaging, stickers)
• Some paper products, such as greasy take-out paper packaging, paper towels, shredded paper
• Hair, nail clippings, fur, feathers, and wrapped pet waste
• Houseplants, cut flowers, greenery from wreaths (remove pots, wire, decorations)
• Pumpkins (remove candles, decorations)
• Wood ashes (cold, put in an acceptable liner bag)

NO packaging, glass, metal, plastic. No beverage cups, including coffee cups. No chewing gum, cigarette butts, cleaning wipes, coffee pods, corks, condiment packets, cutlery, diapers, dirt/vacuum sweepings, water softener salt, wax, yard waste. 

Collection schedule and rules

• Carts need to be visible and accessible to collection crews on your designated collection day(s) starting at 7 a.m. Please ensure that any snow and ice are cleared away, and there are no parked cars blocking access.
• All carts for schools must be rolled to the street for safe collection.
• All organics should be inside the carts. Please do not leave items on top of or outside the carts.
• Carts containing unacceptable materials will not be collected.
• If liner bags are used, only paper bags (such as a yard waste bag) or certified compostable liner bags are accepted. Regular plastic or "biodegradable" bags are not allowed.
• It is the responsibility of the principal to promote and educate users about the Green Cart organics program. TIP:  Many schools have an "eco" or "green" team consisting of a teacher and several students who help promote and ensure the smooth operation of the program.

Need more information?

1. Contact our Call Centre 519-575-4400, available 24 hours a day, every day.
2. Refer to our Publications and resources page.
3. Are you a teacher interested in bringing your class to tour our Waterloo Waste Management site? Check out our Environmental Education program.
4. Refer to Regional Waste By-Law 17-007 and Bans for collection and disposal restrictions.

Where does it go?

Collection crews drop off green cart organics at Region of Waterloo facilities. Organics are then loaded into large trucks and shipped in bulk to the City of Guelph's Organic Waste Processing facility.

At Guelph's facility, your organics are mixed with other organics, shredded and put into a series of tunnels to compost. The conditions in the tunnels are monitored to maximize the breakdown of the organics with oxygen. 

After three to four weeks, the compost is removed from the tunnels and screened to separate out any material that did not break down. This screened compost is formed into long piles called windrows and is monitored for several weeks while it matures indoors.

After an additional screening, the compost is tested to ensure it meets quality standards.

The high-grade compost is sold to local farmers who add it to their fields to grow more food.