Garbage and Recycling

York Region processes residential recycling and garbage for the nine local municipalities and manages waste depots where residents can drop off items for reuse, recycling or disposal. 

Drop off Items at a Waste Depot

York Region residents can drop off garbage, recycling, yard waste, electronics and other waste generated in York Region.
Find a Waste Depot

Look up What Waste Goes Where

Discover where you can dispose unwanted items using a helpful online search tool.
Use the Waste Sorting Tool

Notice: Waste pickup from your home

York Region does not collect recycling or garbage from your home or building. If you have questions about your waste pickup or schedule, contact your local city or town.

Find my City or Town

Learn More About

How to compost and use a green bin
Turn your kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich compost to feed your trees, lawn and garden. It’s easy and can save you money.
Compost and Green Bin
Disposing Hazardous and Specialty Waste
Some special items like batteries, cooking oil, electronics, medications, scrap metal, textiles and tires need to be dropped off at specific waste locations for processing.
Hazardous Waste Disposal
How to recycle and use your Blue Box
Recyclable materials like cans, bottles and paper products go into the blue box. Your local town or city manages the curbside collection of your blue boxes from your home.
What Goes in Your Blue Box
What to do with Yard Waste
Yard Waste like branches and leaves can go in your backyard composter or be set out at the curb as yard waste or brought to a yard waste depot.
What to do With Yard Waste
What happens to our garbage
Items that are not reusable, recyclable or compostable can be placed in your garbage for disposal or dropped off at a waste depot.
What Happens to our Garbage
Resources to Educate Schools on Waste
Information for elementary schools to reduce their waste and improve reuse and recycling efforts at school and at home.
Find Waste Education Tools
Planning for the Future
Waste reduction and diversion leads to a more sustainable future for you and your family. Learn how waste is managed and tracked in the community.
View Plans and Annual Reports
Hands holding potted plant

What is a Circular Economy?

It is a shift from a throw-away to a circular mindset to extend the lifecycle of goods, food and resources through better design and continuous reuse, so nothing goes to waste. 

Learn about the Circular Economy
Read more about waste diversion and prevention in York Region