Dumpster Rental Blog Recycling Archives

15Dec2016

The Essential Guide to Clothes Donation and Recycling in Toronto

December 15, 2016

After writing our article on decluttering your closet, we realized many of you might be in a predicament. You’ve successfully removed a bunch of clothing that you no longer need, but are now faced with the challenge of disposing of it. Do you throw it in one of our garbage bin rentals? Do you throw it in the garbage for collection curbside? The answer to both is no.

It’s surprising that even with the widespread adoption of recycling and donation programs that many people still aren’t taking advantage of them when they’re getting rid of clothing.

In fact, in North America, an astounding 85 percent of our clothing ends up in landfills. That’s over 10.5 million tons of clothing. The amount of textile waste Canada produces in a single year alone is enough to create a mountain three times the size of the Skydome (Roger’s centre) in Toronto.

The problem in the U.S. isn’t any better. Textiles in landfills are a major contributor to greenhouse gases. So much so that the EPA states that recycling all the U.S.’s textile waste would be equivalent to taking one million cars off the road!

One of the reasons clothing ends up in landfills is the lack of convenience. Even though recycling programs are so widespread, many people are still reluctant to look past their blue bins for recycling options. And finding a bin or location for clothing donations is sometimes just as inconvenient.

Because of this, we’ve decided to do the legwork for you and compile a comprehensive list of places where you can donate and recycle your clothing in Toronto and the GTA.

24Nov2016

55 Simple Ways to Go Green at Home

November 24, 2016

City Waste Services

go green Environment, Recycling

Anyone who’s browsed through our site knows that we’re eco-friendly and promote thinking green, especially in the workplace. We encourage everyone to go green and pride ourselves on the fact that we ourselves make a significant impact diverting trash in our dumpster rentals from landfill every day.

But the workplace is, for most of us, where we spend only 30 percent of our lives. At the end of the day, we all return to our homes and families, where it’s even more important to go green. Unlike the workplace, we’re the only managers of our energy consumption, waste production and carbon footprint. We’re in sole control of being eco-friendly and going green.

20Oct2016

10 Recycling Mistakes You’re Probably Making

October 20, 2016

City Waste Services

Recycling

The scene is a familiar one. You’ve just finished your super-sized lunch at the local mall’s food court, the early stages of a food coma setting in, when all of a sudden you’re confronted by an overwhelming array of waste receptacles as you attempt to empty your food tray.

Food waste. Paper waste. Glass waste. Aluminum Waste. Waste waste. You stare blankly at the wall of options and find yourself completely discombobulated by the amount of disposal choices you have.

And you’re not alone. Even though recycling is so common and accessible (92% of Canadians had access to recycling in 2007) many people are often confused as to what cannot be recycled and whether an item should be composted, recycled, or trashed.

There was a time when mullets were on trend and in style. There was also a time when glossy paper wasn’t recyclable. Thankfully, the time of non-recyclable glossy magazines is gone, and along with it the era of the mullet.

Toronto waste audits in 2012 & 2013 found that 15 percent of the contents of homeowners’ curbside garbage bins was recyclable. And a look at recycling numbers in 2015 was even more disconcerting as the city of Toronto found an estimated 45,000 tonnes of garbage mistakenly put into recycling. This garbage can damage equipment, cause injuries at recycling facilities and can ruin other recyclables.

Toronto’s recently launched campaign, Bad Things Happen, was born from the need to educate the public about proper recycling procedures.

(via City of Toronto)

29Sep2016

37 Ways to Reuse Junk and Reduce Your Need For Waste Disposal

September 29, 2016

City Waste Services

reduce waste Recycling, Waste Disposal

As Canadians, most of us like to believe we’re doing enough for the environment with our weekly curbside recycling and composting efforts. The surprising truth is that we’re still actually producing an excessive amount of garbage that results in an inflated need for waste disposal.

In 2009, Canadians produced more garbage per capita than any other country on earth. And in 2014, our homes alone produced almost 10 tonnes of garbage, more than we ever have before.

Clearly, we need to look at other strategies besides recycling and composting to help curb the need for waste disposal. The easiest way to reduce the amount of garbage we produce is through the reuse and re-purposing of old, used items. All you need is a little creativity and inspiration.

1Sep2016

E-Waste and Electronics Recycling Tips

September 1, 2016

City Waste Services

e-waste Recycling

Are you a gadget freak? I know most of us here at City Waste Services are. We’re in love with our electronic gadgets, especially our smartphones. For most of us they’ve actually become an extra appendage. Some of us (you know who you are) have even driven all the way back home just to pick up our forgotten phones! (Aren’t phones supposed to make us more productive?)

The number of smartphone users worldwide will surpass 2 billion this year

And we’re not alone with our obsessions. According to eMarketer, the number of smartphone users worldwide will surpass 2 billion this year and Gartner, a technology research firm, estimated that in 2015, a staggering 1.9 billion cell phones were purchased.

While these numbers alone are already astonishing, these statistics only reflect mobile phones. If you add to that our ongoing need to replace our TVs, laptops and tablets, we’re left with an enormous amount of electronic waste (e-waste) that needs to be disposed of.