Blue Box Recycling Program

 Requirements for Collection:

• Green bin and blue box recyclables are collected weekly on the same day.
• All materials for recycling collection must be placed in blue boxes issued by the Town, with exceptions such as cardboard.
• Cardboard may be placed beside the box provided it's flattened, bundled and tied with twine or string (no tape). Bundles must not exceed 91 cm x 91 cm x 20 cm (36" x 36" x 8").
• Please do not place any recycling products in plastic bags.
• Remember to purchase products only in recyclable containers that are accepted in the Town's Blue Box Program.

  Bylaw 2007-77  The Bylaw states: Blue boxes must be "open topped plastic crates, or plastic pails that are clearly and easily identifiable as containing Blue Box Recyclables, and which shall be capable of containing all materials without spillage and which shall not exceed 50 cm (20 inches) in height and 50 cm (20 inches) in width and 66 cm (26 inches) in length."

 What Is Acceptable in the Blue Bin?     What cannot be Recycled?

Other Tips:

• The Town of Newmarket encourages its residents to reduce, reuse, rethink and then recycle. Please assist by buying products with less packaging, sharing magazine subscriptions with others, donating items you no longer use, bringing your own bags to the store and attempting to purchase items or products in containers that can be recycled.
• The Town of Newmarket thanks you for emptying and rinsing your glass, food and drink cans, and plastic #1 PET through to #7 HDPE containers before placing them in your recycling box. Let's all work together to keep Newmarket safe and attractive! Remember to empty liquid contents from all containers - recyclable or not.
• Please ensure that your garbage and blue boxes are visible to the operator (not blocked by parked cars) or on top of snow banks.

**New - Did you know that no sorting is required! All recyclables can now be combined into one blue box.  

Does the town supply new waste bins to new home owners?

The green bin distribution program occurred in August 2007, each house received a green bin through the Town's capital program and the bin was to be part of the property of the house.  The blue box was distributed in the mid 1990's under a subsidize capital program. New residents or home buyers have had to purchase blue boxes since then.

Recently, site plan agreements have a fee included to provide a green bin and two blue boxes to each new home or some builders have purchased them as a gesture to the new home buyer as part of purchasing a home from them. If your builder for your development chose not to do either, then residents are required to purchase their bins. Please contact your developer/ builder to obtain your green and blue bins.

If you have purchased a "re-sale" home, and the previous home owner took the bins with them, the new home owner would have to either retrieve those bins from the previous owner or purchase new ones themself.  When residents purchase green and blue bins they become the owner of the bins.

The town does provide free replacements for damaged or broken green bins and blue boxes purchased from the Town

For information, please refer to the Town of Newmarket Garbage and Recycling Schedule or call 905-895-5193.