Thunder Bay Solid Waste Management Strategy

Curbside garbage and recycling collection, and landfill operations, will continue as normal during Ontario's Stay-at-Home Order. Please remember: bag all waste, and do not place loose items in garbage cans or containers.

It's snowbank season! Please remember not to place your waste and recycling on snowbanks on collection day. Waste collection crews are not allowed to retrieve items from snowbanks, as it is hazardous. Protect your collector!

Because more household waste is generated during the holiday season, the City will allow residents to put out a third item garbage with no tag on the first collection date after New Year’s Day.

Time to make your New Years resolutions! Reuse & recycle more, and discard less waste, in 2021. Here's how!

Because of increased waste during the holiday season, City of Thunder Bay residents may put out a third item of garbage with no tag on the first collection date after New Year’s Day. Check your waste collection calendar or visit: thunderbay.ca/garbage

Next week's Remembrance Day holiday means that waste and recycling will be collected one day earlier in in Areas 1 and 2. There is no collection on Remembrance Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11. The Landfill site on Mapleward Road is also closed on Remembrance Day. To find your Area, visit https://thunderbay.ca/waste.

This child and her family have been VERY ENTHUSIASTIC about Fall Leaf & Yard Waste collection!

Take Jack Back! From Nov. 1-10, drop off your pumpkins at one of three collection bins: - County Fair Mall on Dawson Road - Westfort Playfield on Neebing Avenue - Intercity Shopping Centre parking lot Please remove non-compostable materials such as candles, yarn, aluminum foil. The collected pumpkins will be added to the #compost pile at the landfill and turned into rich compost for lawns and flower gardens. Program funded by City of Thunder Bay and delivered by EcoSuperior.

Take Jack Back! Turn him into rich #compost for lawns and flower gardens. After Hallowe'en, drop off your pumpkins at a collection bin between Nov. 1 and Nov. 10. Collection bin locations: - County Fair Mall on Dawson Road - Westfort Playfield on Neebing Avenue - Intercity Shopping Centre parking lot... Please make sure to remove any non-compostable materials such as candles, yarn, aluminum foil. This program is funded by the City of Thunder Bay and delivered by EcoSuperior! See more

On this final day of Waste Reduction Week in Canada, the theme is "Swap, Share & Repair." Think twice before you discard used clothing, small appliances or tools - could they be donated, lent to others, or repaired? The landfill should be the last resort - try to keep the items within the circular economy! #wastereductionweektb #wastereductionweek

For trash to reach the landfill, it first has to be disposed of properly. Who remembers Manitoba's "Orbit" roadside trash cans? Enjoy this article, and please, don't litter. https://www.cbc.ca//orbit-trash-can-history-manitoba-highw

Time to put your lawns and flower gardens to bed - it's compost time! FREE compost is now available at the City's Solid Waste & Recycling Facility. Weather permitting and while quantities last, Thunder Bay residents can bring their shovels to the compost loading area on John Street Road, between Mapleward Road and Gratton Road. Each household may take up to one half-tonne load of compost. The compost loading area is open Monday to Friday, 8 am - 5:30 pm and Saturdays, 8 am - 3:30 pm. A maximum of three vehicles are allowed inside the compost loading area at one time. Residents must follow physical distancing practices, staying 2 metres apart. Please do not come for compost if you are not feeling well.

Recycling E-Waste helps conserve valuable natural resources. Bring your E-Waste to the depot at the Mapleward Road Solid Waste & Recycling Facility and dispose of it FREE! We accept: amplifiers, audio & video players, cameras, cell phones, computers/peripherals, copiers, fax machines, monitors, printers, radios, speakers, answering machines, turntables, TVs and more. Info: https://thunderbay.ca/recycle

Dispose of your household hazardous waste safely at the City’s Solid Waste & Recycling Facility at 5405 Mapleward Road, free of charge! This protects our environment, especially waterways. We accept items such as: - Oil and oil containers (limit of two 5-gallon containers per visit) - Glycol - CFL bulbs - Batteries under 5 kg... - Propane tanks - Solvents - Cleaners - Paint - Aerosols - Medicines - Pesticides/Herbicides Please drop off in original containers, or label the containers. Never mix hazardous wastes. See more

Don’t rake and bag up grass clippings - leave them where they lie! Grasscycling is an easy and effective way to have a healthy, beautiful lawn. Grass clippings protect the soil by keeping moisture in the ground. Clippings decompose quickly, naturally fertilizing your lawn with nutrients after each mow. It’s also less work, just mow your grass and you’re done!

Effective July 1, the City of Thunder Bay is expanding its recycling program to include ALL #1 and #2 plastic coded containers. This will allow residents to recycle additional plastic items such as clamshell containers often used for salads, vegetables, berries, or pastries. Prior to this expansion, residents were only allowed to recycle #1 and #2 plastic bottles. Remember to check the labels on plastic containers to ensure it is recyclable and always rinse containers before recycling them to remove any food residue. This will ensure the stream does not get contaminated. For more information, contact the Infrastructure & Operations Dispatch at 625-2195 or visit: www.thunderbay.ca/recycling

There is no collection on Canada Day, Wednesday, July 1. Garbage and recycling collection moves back one day earlier during the week of June 29th for residents in Area 1 and Area 2. Collection in Area 3 and Area 4 remains unchanged. Refer to your new 2020/2021 waste collection calendar or visit: www.thunderbay.ca/waste for your correct collection date.... For more information, contact the Infrastructure & Operations Dispatch at 625-2195.

Interested in learning how to get started with a back yard composter? Don't miss this webinar, register today!

Free compost is now available at no charge at the City's Solid Waste & Recycling Facility. Weather permitting and while quantities last, Thunder Bay residents are encouraged to bring their shovels to the compost loading area on John Street Road, between Mapleward Road and Gratton Road. Each household is allowed to take up to one half-tonne load of compost. The compost loading area is open Monday to Friday, 8 am - 5:30 pm and on Saturdays, 8 am - 3:30 pm. ... A maximum of three vehicles are allowed inside the compost loading area at one time. Residents must follow proper social distancing practices at all times, and do not come for compost if you are not feeling well.

Happy National Public Works Week to our Waste Collection Operators!

Act on Litter! Taking small actions to reduce your waste helps to make a big difference!

Today is the Provincial Day of Action on Litter! Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, there are actions all of us can still take to put litter in its proper place while staying at home and physically distancing. You can do this by: -Reducing waste: giving old products new life instead of throwing them away. For example, using old containers for storage. -Diverting waste: recycling or composting materials when and where possible to divert waste away from landfills. For example, by us...ing your blue and green bins. -Preventing waste: stopping waste before its created. For example, by choosing to buy goods with less packaging. -Properly disposing waste: making sure anything that does belong in the trash, such as disposable gloves and masks, is placed in properly tied or sealed garbage bags to keep our neighbourhoods clean and safe Learn more on the Provincial Day of Action on Litter at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/provincial-day-action-litter

Check out the new LIVE camera before visiting the Solid Waste & Recycling Facility (the Landfill Site) to see how busy it is at: www.thunderbay.ca/landfill. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, residents are asked to only visit the site if they need to, maximize their loads to minimize trips to the site, and are encouraged to utilize the debit/credit tap function as their payment method to reduce contact.

See the Shaw Spotlight where Manager of Solid Waste & Recycling Services Jason Sherband discusses waste and recycling during the COVID-19 Pandemic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzBB7o4ncPs&feature=youtu.be

Residents are reminded that there will be no garbage or recycling collection on the Good Friday Holiday Friday, April 10. Collection in all areas and zones moves to one day earlier for this holiday week only: AREA 1 ZONE 1 Garbage & Recycling Monday, April 6 AREA 1 ZONE 2 Garbage Monday, April 6 AREA 2 ZONE 1 Garbage & Recycling Tuesday, April 7... AREA 2 ZONE 2 Garbage Tuesday, April 7 AREA 3 ZONE 1 Garbage & Recycling Wednesday, April 8 AREA 3 ZONE 2 Garbage Wednesday, April 8 AREA 4 ZONE 1 Garbage & Recycling Thursday, April 9 AREA 4 ZONE 2 Garbage Thursday, April 9 Never miss a collection date again - sign up for our ReCollect Waste & Recycling Collection Reminder Service! You can receive reminders by phone, email or text message. To sign up or learn more, visit: www.thunderbay.ca/recollect. For more information, contact the Infrastructure & Operations Dispatch at 625-2195.

The City of Thunder Bay will be expanding its curbside recycling pick-up to include ALL #1 and 2 plastics starting July 1st! This includes most clamshell contai...ners used for produce items. Currently, only #1 and 2 plastic bottles are accepted. This a step forward in reducing the amount of waste entering the landfill. Read more here: https://www.cbc.ca//thunder-bay-plastic-recycling-1.5507816 You can further reduce your own waste footprint by setting up a backyard composter, bringing reusable shopping bags and buying in bulk whenever possible, as well as refusing single-use plastics! To learn more about waste reduction visit www.ecosuperior.org!

Help protect the health and safety of waste collections crews and the general public by bagging all your waste!

Never forget your garbage or recycling collection day again! Sign up for the City's free reminder system ReCollect, where you can get waste reminders through email, text or Twitter. To learn more, visit: thunderbay.ca/recollect

Residents are reminded not to place waste and recycling bags on snowbanks during collection days. Waste on snowbanks poses dangers to both residents and waste collection crews. Crews are not permitted to climb snowbanks to retrieve items. Ideally, place waste and recycling bags at the end of the driveway where they will be visible to the crews

Residents please be advised that garbage and recycling collection has been cancelled today and tomorrow.