Garbage and recycling

2023 garbage and recycling schedule

Bag tags and blue bins 

Garbage in clear bags with a West Grey bag tag will be picked up.

Recycling should be placed loose inside a blue bin.

Bins can be purchased at the municipal office for $10

Bag tags cost $2 and can be purchased at:

• West Grey Administration Building
• Ayton Auto
• Durham Eckhardt's Shell & Variety
• Durham ESSO
• Durham Heritage Corner Variety
• Elmwood Beckenhauer's Garage
• Hanover Pioneer Gas Bar
• Markdale Home Hardware Store
• Mac's 10/4 Junction
• Neustadt Springs Brewery
• Robert's Farm Equipment - Mount Forest
• Ultramar Durham 

Bag tags are available at our landfill sites and available to order online to be sent directly by mail. For more details on ordering online, please review our online purchasing instructions.

Every fall the municipality holds a yard waste pickup day.

Residents in Ayton, Elmwood, Durham and Neustadt may bag leaves, clippings, plants and brush in large brown yard waste bags and place them on the curb by 8 a.m. Leaves placed in plastic bags and loose brush will not be collected. 

Residents outside the urban areas may take yard waste to the Bentinck landfill.

West Grey promotes curbside pickup as the best solution for collecting recyclable waste. Please have recycling out at the curb by 7 a.m. on scheduled days. All recycling must be clean, dry and empty. Recycle clean bottles, cans, paper, and cardboard. Keep food and liquid out of your recycling. No loose plastic bags and no bagged recyclables. If you have any questions about recycling items, send us a photo and we will identify whether it can be recycled in West Grey or not. 

Recycling Drop-off Locations:

Bentinck landfill, 114079 Grey Road 3

Durham landfill, 590 Park Street 

Plastic Bottles & Containers

The numbers on food and beverage containers are a resin identification code to help recycling facilities sort materials. Plastics 1, 2, 3 and 5 are accepted for recycling in West Grey. Plastics 4, 6 and 7 are not accepted at this time in the West Grey recycling program. 

Accepted items:

• No. 1 - polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)
  • Peanut butter jars, plastic soda and water bottles, microwave food trays and salad dressing bottles

• No. 2 - high density polyethylene (HDPE)
  • Milk jugs, laundry detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, butter/yogurt tubs, empty motor oil bottles (lids on)

• No. 3 - polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
  • Cooking oil bottles, shampoo bottles, window cleaner spray bottles

• No. 5 - polypropylene (PP)
  • Syrup bottles, ketchup and medicine bottles

Not accepted items:

• No. 4 – low density polyethylene (LDPE)
  • shrink wrap, dry cleaning bags, grocery bags, bread bags, produce bags 

• No. 6 – polystyrene (PS)
  • packing peanuts, CD cases, take-out containers and egg cartons

• No. 7 – other (BPA, polycarbonate and LEXAN)
  • oven baking bags or large 3–5 gallon jugs

Food Beverage Cans

Recycle all empty tin, aluminum and steel cans.

Accepted items:

• Clean tin, aluminum and steel cans (remove plastic lids from any food or beverage cans before recycling)
• empty aerosol cans can also be recycled, but be sure they are empty and never include any caps

Not accepted items:

• Dirty tin, aluminum and steel cans
• Tin paint cans with plastic bottoms
• Plastic lids from aerosol cans

Paper

Recycle dry paper, newspaper and magazines

Accepted items:

• paper, newspaper and magazines
• wrapping paper with tape removed
• bagged shredded paper

Not accepted items:

• soiled and wet paper, newspaper and magazines
• foil wrapping paper
• shredded paper not placed in a bag

Paperboard

• Recycle clean paperboard (cereal boxes, cracker boxes, etc.)
• Flatten all paperboard to fit in recycling bin

Flattened Cardboard

• Flatten all cardboard, bundle (24”x18”x6”) and bind

Glass Bottles & Containers

• Clean glass food containers only

Not accepted items:

• Plastic bags
• Film plastic or plastic wrap
• Flexible packaging
• Paper cups with wax or plastic coating
• Polystyrene foam
• Garbage waste
• Medical waste
• Diapers

You can drop off your film plastics at two landfills in West Grey. Accepted film plastic recyclables will be transported to a company in Ontario that turns film plastics into plastic resin pellets to be used in manufacturing.

The success of this project depends on you! To recycle your film plastic, you must ensure all materials are:

• Clean – remove all food residue
• Dry – if you rinse it, let it dry
• Empty – remove paper, stickers and receipts
• Identified by #2 HDPE or #4 LDPE recycling symbol

Drop-off locations:

Bentinck landfill, 114079 Grey Road 3

Durham landfill, 590 Park Street 

Accepted items:

Only plastics identified by #2 HDPE (high-density polyethylene) or #4 LDPE (low-density polyethylene) are accepted. These are:

• Grocery and retail bags
• Newspaper and flyer bags
• Dry cleaning bags
• Electronic equipment bags
• Bread bags
• Fresh vegetable and produce bags
• Frozen vegetable bags
• Bulk goods bags
• Milk outer bags
• Water softener and salt bags
• Toilet paper, napkin and paper towel over wrap
• Diaper and feminine hygiene product outer bags
• Bottled water and soda case over wrap
• Clean and empty garden product bags  

Not accepted items: 

• Unclean items with food or dirt residue 
• Packaging in contact with meat
• Packaging in contact with dairy
• Biodegradable or compostable plastics 
• Crinkly, non-stretch wrap, packaging and bottle seals
• Agricultural bale, boat and shrink wrap
• Beverage rings
• Stretch cling wrap
• Chip, cookie, chocolate and snack bar wrappers 
• Bubble wrap
• Zipper lock and resealable bags 

West Grey is now recycling expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam packaging, commonly referred to as Styrofoam, in partnership with Second Wind Recycling. Styrofoam recycling will start on November 1, 2021 and will be based out of the Bentinck and Durham landfills.  

Drop-off locations:  

Bentinck landfill, 114079 Grey Road 3

Durham landfill, 590 Park Street 

Accepted items:

Styrofoam with the #6 recycling symbol will be accepted. This includes white packaging for computers, electronics, appliances, toys, etc. Items must be clean, dry and free of tape to be accepted. 

Not accepted items:

• Foam wrap
• Polyethylene foam (flexible in nature)
• Packaging peanuts
• Cups and bowls
• Meat trays
• Take-out containers
• Insulation panels
• Pool noodles