Clear Bags

To help with the transition, opaque/black garbage bags will continue to be accepted at waste drop-off facilities until the end of 2025.

Waste-drop off facilities will no longer accept opaque bags starting January 1, 2026.

• More recyclables and green bin organics will be separated from garbage and collected at the curb.
• The program will save space and extend the life of Muskoka’s one and only landfill - Rosewarne.
• It will make work safer for garbage collectors because they can see what is in the bags and avoid dangerous items, like sharp glass, needles, etc.
• The program will help keep hazardous items from the waste stream, like lithium-ion batteries, paint, pharmaceuticals, oil, gasoline, etc.

If you are already do a great job at recycling, composting and diverting materials from our landfill, thank you! This change should be easy for you, you just need to switch to clear bags. This program is to encourage everyone, to work diligently and make conscious decisions to divert more material from the landfill.

Many places already use clear bag programs, including the City of Orillia, City of Peterborough, City of Markham, the Town of Orangeville (Dufferin County), and the Town of Goderich. Nearby, depot communities, both the Township of Archipelago and Township of Algonquin Highlands also have clear bag programs.

To date, over 2 million Canadian households now participate in clear bag garbage collection programs and the municipal waste diversion achievements are typically over 55%, some as high as 80% (e.g., Markham). After one year of the clear bag program being in place, The City of Markham saw an 11% increase in diversion. When Markham switched to a clear bag garbage collection program, there was very limited initial public support of the program, but several years after implementation, 100% of the residents surveyed indicated that they are supportive of the program. 

District staff will begin notifying local grocery and hardware retailer head offices to stock up on large and small clear bags before the program starts.

Information on where to buy clear bags locally and online will be shared on our website closer to the program start date. Clear bags are available across a variety of sizes (i.e., kitchen catcher, etc.).

You are encouraged to use up the bags before the new clear bag program starts on March 3, 2025.

Understanding that many residents may have a lot of black/white/green garbage bags on-hand, the District will continue to accept these bags at any waste drop-off facility within the District until January 1, 2026.

The Clear Bag Program allows for up to two small opaque (not see-through) ‘privacy’ bags inside the large clear bag per week. You can continue to use your black/white/green bags as your privacy bags.

If you end up with leftover black/green/white bags, it is recommended that they be used for storage or to hold donation items to local charities, non-profit groups, and churches. The bags themselves can also be donated to willing charities that may have opportunities to reuse them (clothing storage, etc.).

Incontinence products can be placed in the privacy bag(s) or in a clear plastic bag(s) inside a rigid curbside container to keep them out of sight.

Your privacy and safety are very important to us. It’s important to understand that even with opaque (not see-through) bags, your waste is not entirely private, as bags can be torn apart during collection, by wildlife, or investigated at any time.

Simply throwing away sensitive items does not guarantee their protection. To keep your private information safe, we encourage shredding sensitive documents before disposal. This ensures that your personal information remains secure, regardless of whether you use clear or opaque bags.