How to Sort Your Waste and Recycling

Per Ontario's new Recycling Program, Waste and Recycling must be properly sorted into the following categories:

Paper & Fibres

• Cardboard boxes (including pizza boxes, direct mail boxes, moving boxes, shoe boxes)
  • • Flatten. No larger than 60 x 60 cm.
• Boxboard (including cereal boxes, tissue boxes, egg cartons, rolls from toilet paper and paper towel)
  • • Flatten
    • Empty
• Paper Laminate Packaging (including pet food bags, food service paper bags, paper plates)
  • • Empty and free from food residue.
• Paper (any colour, including flour bags, prescription bags, paper produce bags, notepads, white or coloured loose paper, file folders, other printed materials, community newspapers, flyers, brochures, magazines, greeting cards, envelopes, gift boxes)
  • • Empty
    • Place shredded paper in a tied clear plastic bag
    • Separate from plastic bags used to cover items, remove elastic bands
    • Remove rope handle from bags
    • DO NOT INCLUDE SOFT OR HARD COVERED BOOKS/NOVELS.
• Flexible Plastic Packaging (including bags used for dry cleaning, bread, newspapers and flyers, overwrap (paper towel & toilet paper, beverage containers), coffee bags or deli pouches, chip bags, bubble wrap, snack wrappers, cereal liner bags, plastic gift bags)
  • • Empty & free from food residue

*Recycled Materials are to be flattened and are to be dumped LOOSE into the bins provided

Containers

• Glass Containers (including clear and coloured glass, food containers, jars & bottles, cosmetic containers, spice bottles, oil & vinegar bottles)
  • • Empty and free from food residue
    • Take lids & caps off
• Plastic Containers (including laundry detergent & household cleaner jugs, shampoo, body wash, salad dressing, condiment containers, dish soap, mouth wash bottles, plastic beverage bottles)
  • • Empty and free from food residue
    • Keep lids & caps on
    • DO NOT INCLUDE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTAINERS
• Plastic Food Containers (including food trays, salad, yogurt, peanut butter, bakery & egg containers, plastic tubs & lids, black plastic containers)
  • • Empty and free from food residue
    • Keep lids & caps on
• Paper Laminate Containers (including spiral cans, cookie dough packages, ice cream containers, and hot & cold beverage cups)
  • • Empty and free from food residue
    • Remove lids & caps
• Cartons (including dairy, dairy substitute, & juice cartons, coffee creamers, molasses & sugar cartons, laundry & cleaning cartons, soup & sauce cartons, coffee cartons)
  • • Rinse & dry
    • Keep lids & caps on
    • DO NOT INCLUDE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTAINERS
• Aluminum (Foils & Trays) (including aluminum foil, pie plates, frozen food trays)
  • • Rinse & Dry
    • Ball up aluminum foil
• Metal (including food cans, metal lids, candle, cookie, coffee & tea tins)
  • • Rinse & dry
    • DO NOT INCLUDE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTAINERS
• Foam Packaging (including meat trays, takeout containers, cups, plates, bowls, foam packaging for products)
  • • Empty and free from food residue
    • Remove film wrap and absorbent pads from meat trays
• Tubes (including toothpaste tubes, deodorant, hand cream tubes)
  • • Empty
    • Keep lids & caps on
• Small Plastic Containers (including small item packaging, hand sanitizer bottles, plant pots, medication bottles & containers)
  • • Empty
    • Keep lids & caps on

*Please rinse all containers. Containers are to be dumped LOOSE into the bins provided

Waste (Garbage)

• Waste includes items that cannot be recycled and are not otherwise categorized (as per the list of categories above)

For more information, please visit: https://www.circularmaterials.ca/resident-communities/hastings-highlands/

A printable quick-reference guide can be found here: Recycling - Dual stream - 2026 Guide

Metals and Large Appliances

• Dishwashers
• Stoves
• Hot Water Tanks
• Washing Machines and Dryers
• Fridge, Stove Freezer etc.
  *Tagged CFC Free

Appliances that contain refrigerants (ie. CFCs/Freon) can be disposed of at East Lake Waste Disposal Site (59 Cardwell Lake Road, Maple Leaf, ON). This service is available at a cost of $75.00 per unit. Disposal (Tipping) Fees - HH Waste Sites

Tires

• Tires ON or OFF Rims
• Maximum of ten (10) tires per visit. NO COMMERCIAL TIRES

Bulk Items

• Chairs, Mattresses, Dressers etc.
  *Tipping Fees Apply: Disposal (Tipping) Fees - HH Waste Sites

Yard Waste/Brushing

• *Stumps must be under 10 cm (4 inches)
• Only PAPINEAU LAKE, MUSCLOW-GREENVIEW, EAST LAKE, LAKE ST. PETER, and SOUTH BAPTISTE waste sites ACCEPT Yard Waste & Brush

Construction and Demolition Materials

• Plaster/Drywall/Carpet/Vinyl Siding etc.
  *All construction and demolitions materials must be free of asbestos and PCBs.
  Material must be taken to East Lake Waste Disposal Site (59 Cardwell Lake Road, Maple Leaf, ON). *Tipping Fees Apply: Disposal (Tipping Fees) - HH Waste Sites

Electronic Waste

• Televisions, computer monitors, fans, telephones, VCRs etc.

Household Batteries

• AA, AAA, D-Cell, C-Cell, 9-volt and Button cells

Textile Recycling

There are textile recycling bins located at the REAR of the Municipal Office located at 33011 Highway 62 in Maynooth, ON. Listed below are items that are accepted in the bins. *Please DO NOT leave any items outside or beside the bins*

• Accessories and bags
• Clothing (all types)
• Curtains
• General household textiles (towels, blankets, sheets, pillows, stuffed toys)
• Shoes and boots
• Sleeping bags

Hazardous Waste and Special Products

• Hastings Highlands hosts a 'Hazardous Waste and Special Products' event twice a year (during Summer and Fall)
• In 2025 Events will be held on Saturday, July 12th and Saturday, October 18th from 9am to 2pm. 
  • 2025 Hazardous Waste and Special Products Event (flyer) 

What is considered Hazardous Waste and What is Accepted?