Waste Free Toronto

Send Your Packaging Packing

Too much packaging, wrapping, padding and stuffing comes with most products today. Most of it isn't necessary and is really just a way for companies to advertise. The worst part is that a lot of packaging isn't recyclable in your Blue Box!

Take a look at the things you buy - is there an alternative with less packaging or recyclable packaging?

For example, you can buy food in bulk stores to avoid food packaging.

Challenge: 

• Avoid products with excessive packaging, or non-recyclable packaging, or Change what you buy to avoid packaging and tell us about it

• Snap a photo and share your story

Take the extra step:
Sign our petition to ask companies to stop using non-recyclable materials and to stop offloading the cost of disposal to cities. Click here to sign the petition.

Read TEA's report on how companies can take responsibility for their product and packagin waste, including great examples of Ontario companies that are already doing it!

Choose to Re-Use!

It's the small things that add up. One coffee cup or one bottle of water doesn't seem like much. Now, think about how full a garbage can would be with 250 single use coffee cups, one for every work day in the year?

Now imagine if just 10% of Torontonians (250,000 people) used throw-away cups and water bottles: it would be a nightmare of unnecessary waste!

But if you choose reusables, like a refillable water bottle, or a travel mug, you can help eliminate this nightmare. You save money and you help the environment (bottled water costs so much more than tap water, and Toronto's tap water is some of the cleanest in the world).

Challenge:

• Get a refillable water bottle and reusable travel mug and commit to carrying them with you. Or, if you're having a coffee or tea at a cafe, ask them to put it in a reusable mug instead of a disposable cup.

• Snap a photo of yourself using your refillable water bottle or mug and share it with us below.

Take the extra step:
If you already carry a mug and water bottle, choose a reusable to replace another disposable product in your life - for example using lunch containers instead of disposable bags, or carrying reusable cutlery to use when you get take-out food. Tell us about it and share a photo.

Knowing how much waste you produce will help you identify how it can be reduced!

• Use Tool #1 OR Tool #2 below to calculate the approximate garbage your household creates in a year.
• Enter your calculated household waste per year in the comment box below to complete the challenge.

Use Toronto’s Trash Tools

Did you know that in Toronto, more than half of what residents are putting into their garbage bag shouldn't be there? Much of what is put out as garbage can actually be recycled or composted.

There is a lot to learn about Toronto’s waste, and how we can reduce it.

The good news is that the City has a number of user-friendly tools to help you put your waste in the right place!

Challenge:

• Visit toronto.ca/wastewizard and bookmark the Waste Wizard, a simple online search tool to identify where to put your waste.
• The free City waste calendar lists waste collection days and each month features a number of tips on how to sort your waste - if you didn’t get one, order one now by calling 311 or send an email to [email protected] and ask for a Waste Calendar.

Tip:  See "What Goes Where" on City of Toronto website for links to information on how to sort and set out your waste.

Take the extra step:
If you already use the City tools above, share these links with a friend, or a family member.

Think Twice Before You Buy!

Did you know that you can help the environment and reduce waste by simply not buying something? By repairing, sharing, swapping or re-using things, you can avoid wasteful packaging and avoid sending more things to landfill - and you’ll probably save money.

We can buy less, share things, or buy second-hand things to reduce the waste impact of what we own.

This includes things like borrowing a book from the library, or sharing tools with a neighbour instead of buying your own. You can also buy second hand clothing or donate your old furniture to a charitable store.

Challenge: 

• Instead of buying something new, reconsider it – borrow it from a friend, or rent it instead. Or, if you really need your own, buy it second hand. Share a photo and tell us about it!
• Instead of throwing out something you don’t use anymore, donate or sell it to someone who could use it. Tell us about it! The City of Toronto website lists local non-profit groups that accept donations of used goods.

Take the extra step:
Repair it! Instead of tossing something out, get it repaired, or learn to maintain it yourself so it lasts longer. Mend your clothes, or get them altered by a tailor. Tell us about your repair adventure and snap a photo!

The Waste Free Challenge is 10 simple steps that anyone in Toronto can take.
Tell us about you, and why you are taking the Challenge!