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December 22, 2021 - Muskoka, ON - The holiday season is filled with joy and giving – but unfortunately, it’s also a season filled with trash.
Want to do your part to reduce holiday waste? Make sure you keep your blue box off the naughty list.
Muskoka’s Blue Box Naughty List
These items are not recyclable in Muskoka’s program – please keep your blue box off the naughty list, and keep these items out of your recycling:
x masks and gloves
x tape dispensers
x wooden fruit crates
x ceramics and other glass kitchenware
x clothes hangers
x greasy pizza boxes with food waste
x foil wrapping paper
x electronics
x batteries
Not sure where it goes? Try our online Waste Wizard! The District’s quick and easy search tool with information on how to properly sort a variety of items. Type the name of an item and we'll tell you how to recycle or dispose of it. Visit our website at www.muskokarecycles.ca or download our free Muskoka Recycles mobile app.
Wrapping Paper
Plain old wrapping paper, the standard ‘papery’ kind, is recyclable. But the foil and metallic type is problematic and belongs in the garbage.
Avoid using metallic wrapping paper or excessive amounts of tape as they are not acceptable recycling material. Consider wrapping gifts with newspaper, old posters or outdated calendars. Make your own gift bags out of unwanted cloth or pillow cases. When you open your presents, set a box aside to collect gift bags, ribbons, bows and other package decorations to reuse for next year.
Electronics and Batteries – These Require Special Care!
Make room for your new gifts by recycling your old electronics for free at a District of Muskoka waste facility, or a participating electronic recycler. If your gift requires batteries, consider buying rechargeable ones. Batteries do not go in the blue box and should never be put in the garbage. Batteries are accepted at no charge during Household Hazardous Waste events and at our year-round facility in Bracebridge, the full schedule is available at www.muskokarecycles.ca
Holiday Schedule
There will be no changes to curbside collection days or times during the upcoming holidays. Please set your garbage out on your regular collection day. Please note, waste facilities will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Muskoka Recycles App
Do you have the Muskoka Recycles App yet? Be prepared for winter weather impacts to curbside collection. Download our free Muskoka Recycles mobile app and get instant access to weather-related waste collection cancellations, customized garbage collection calendars, waste facility information, to report a missed collection and use our Waste Wizard tool to find out what goes where.
Request a calendar
If you can’t access our online content or don’t own a smartphone, we’re here to help. Please call 705-645-6764 or email waste@muskoka.on.ca with your address and community, and we will mail you a copy of your schedule.
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