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Organics
Organic waste from your green cart is turned into compost at Guelph’s Organic Waste Processing Facility and is sold to farms.
Guelph uses aerobic, in-vessel composting technology—it uses less energy and generates fewer greenhouse gas emissions than landfilling or taking organic waste somewhere else for processing.
Guelph’s organic waste processing facility can process about 30,000 tonnes a year. Guelph produces about 10,000 tonnes of organic waste each year. Guelph and Waterloo Region have an agreement to process up to 20,000 tonnes of Waterloo Region’s organic waste until the year 2023.
Compost at home to reduce Guelph’s greenhouse gas emissions and waste processing costs
Recyclables
Guelph’s recycling program is now operated by Circular Materials as part of the province-wide Blue Box Program. Waste Management of Canada Corporation (WM) collects residential recycling and provides related customer service in Guelph.
Blue box materials are collected, sorted, and processed at a Material Recovery Facility to be used again and again, coming back into your home as another product or packaging. Visit the Circular Materials website to learn more about how your recyclables are being handled.
Here are some examples of what the materials in your blue cart can be used for:
- Newspaper is reprocessed and made into newsprint, magazines, flyers, catalogues and phone books.
- Cardboard is reprocessed and made into new cardboard, brown paper towels or paper bags.
- Boxboard and phone books are reprocessed and made into new boxboard, egg cartons, manila envelopes, file folders, paper take-out trays and used in hydroseeding.
- Fine paper is reprocessed and made into toilet and facial tissue
- Steel is smelted and made into new steel to make new food containers, automobile components and other steel products.
- Aluminum is smelted into pellets and made into new aluminum to make pop cans.
- Plastic pop bottles are melted and made into carpets and fibre stuffing for textiles.
- Vinegar and bleach bottles are melted and made into motor oil bottles, solvent bottles, dishwashing soap bottles, liquid laundry soap bottles and new bleach containers.
- Margarine tubs and ketchup bottles are made into plastic skids, plastic lumber, septic tank liners, truck box liners and drainage pipes.
Garbage
Garbage from the grey cart is compacted and transported to a landfill in Watford, Ontario.
Resources
- Guelph Solid Waste Master Plan
- Guelph Waste Management Bylaw (2019)-20392
- Waste Resource Innovation Centre Public Liaison Committee
For more information
Solid Waste Resources
519-767-0598; TTY: 519-826-9771
[email protected]
- Blue box changes
- Circular Economy
- Clothing donation locations
- Compost at home or at work
- Construction, Renovation and Demolition Waste Management Guidebook
- Donate plastic bags and reusable shopping bags
- Downtown waste collection
- Goods Exchange Weekends in Guelph
- How to dispose of furniture, appliances, large items
- How to dispose of household hazardous waste
- How to dispose of restaurant grease and oil
- How to sort garbage and recycling in Guelph
- Multi-residential waste collection
- ReCycle your bike, or get a used bike free
- Single-use items reduction strategy and ban
- Waste Resource Innovation Centre
- Waste Resource Innovation Centre Public Liaison Committee
- Waste cart orders and repairs
- Waste collection for businesses and organizations
- Waste collection schedule
- What happens to Guelph’s waste?
- Yard waste
Guelph Waste app
Use the Guelph Waste app to sign up for email or phone reminders about your waste collection schedule.
Download the free mobile app for Apple or Google devices.
