With Christmas holidays, New Year's celebrations behind us, here are some waste reduction tips to 'pack it up'

Waste reduction tips are offered by Vaughan, York Region's leader in waste management

Yorkregion.com
Jan. 5, 2022
Aileen Zangouei

With the Christmas holidays and New Year's celebrations behind us, this is typically the time when people start to pack it up.

The City of Vaughan, a leader in waste management in York region, has offered some tips to residents on how to pack up the holidays effectively. This includes what to do with broken ornaments, Christmas trees you want to throw away, plastic toys and leftover gifts, as well as things that are often mistaken as recyclable, such as black plastic.

Here are some waste reduction tips and reminders to sort the following items correctly:

Broken glass -- if you have broken glass from ornaments, glassware or decorations, safely package the pieces in a sealed cardboard box labelled "broken glass" and place it at the curb in your regularly scheduled garbage collection day. This helps waste collectors stay safe and collection days run smoothly.

Christmas trees -- Waste collectors across York region communities will be collecting real Christmas trees curbside by the following schedule. Collection day will be on regulatory scheduled pickup days:

Aurora, Jan. 17 to 21.

East Gwillimbury, Jan. 11 to 14

Georgina, week of Jan. 11 only

King Township, Jan. 11

Markham, Jan. 4 to Jan. 14

Richmond Hill, weeks of Jan. 4 and Jan. 11

Vaughan, weeks of Jan. 4 and Jan. 11

Do not place real Christmas trees in a tree bag or plastic bag. Remove all decorations and stands prior to collection. Ensure your tree is less than two metres in height. Cut the tree in half if it exceeds this height. Real Christmas trees can also be dropped off at York Region waste depots that accept yard waste (fees apply).

Plastic toys and leftover gifts -- New gifts can mean that there's not use or room for old ones. Before throwing away old toys, check if they can be recycled for a new purpose or donated to a local shelter or charity.

Styrofoam, black plastic containers and disposable cutlery -- these items can not be recycled in York region and should just go in the garbage. Consider challenging yourself to upcycle these items for a new purpose such as arts and craft materials. You can then share your waste reduction effort with a selfie or another picture or video using the hashtag #VaughanWasteLess on social media.