Why weren't my recyclables picked up?
What time does my garbage/recycling have to be at the curb?
Is there a limit per household for recycling?
Where do I pick up a blue or black box?
How do I recycle cardboard?
Do apartment buildings (non-condo units) in the Municipality participate in recycling?
Do we have a program for tire recycling?
What is my weekly garbage bag limit?
What happens to the excess garbage if I exceed my bag limit?
I have a large household appliance, a piece of furniture or a roll of carpet to dispose of, what does that count as?
There are two different sizes of toter carts, how do I know how much mine holds?
What if I have a toter cart and a large item that needs to be collected?
What happens if I leave my excess garbage at the curb until next week's collection?
What is considered hazardous waste?
Do we have a hazardous waste depot in Chatham-Kent?
Where do I take my empty paint cans, propane tanks, old refrigerators?
How do I dispose of used needles and/or syringes?
Where do I take my leaves and brush?
Where can I get wood mulch and compost?
What happens to the recyclables collected from Chatham-Kent residents?
Why weren't my recyclables collected?
If there are mixed recyclables in the black box (anything other than fibre material), it will not be collected. Cardboard is required to be broken down, flattened, tied and bundled in dimensions no larger than 30"x30"x8". Anything larger than the required dimensions or is not tied/bundled will not be collected. Recyclables in clear transparent bags or that are not in either a blue/black box will not be collected (with the exception of cardboard).
What time does my garbage/recycling have to be at the curb?
All garbage and recycling must be placed at the curb no earlier than 7:00 p.m. the day prior to collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. the day of collection as per By-Law 119-2005.
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Is there a limit per household for recycling?
No, there is no limit for acceptable blue/black box items. However, they are required to be in either a blue or black box (with the exception of cardboard that is tied and bundled in the appropriate dimensions). Please refer to the Recycling Guide under the Downloads section for further details.
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Where do I pick up a blue or black box?
Blue and black boxes can be obtained for $10 each from the Civic Centre in Chatham or any of the Municipal Centres/Information Desk throughout the Municipality.
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How do I recycle cardboard?
Cardboard must be flattened, tied securely in a bundle and stacked in or beside the black box. Bundles must not exceed 75 cm x 75 cm x 20cm (30" x 30" x 8").
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Do apartment buildings (non-condo units) in the Municipality participate in recycling?
The building owner is required to provide recycling services for the residents of apartment buildings.
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Do we have a program for tire recycling?
Some of our Transfer Stations accepts rimless passenger tires. There may be a fee applied and there is a limit of four. Any tires disposed of at the curb (without rims) go to the landfill.
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What is my weekly garbage bag limit?
Each residential property is entitled to 4 garbage bags or equivalent each week. All Commercial, Institutional and Industrial properties are entitled to 2.0 cubic metres or upto 30 bags each week.
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What happens to the excess garbage if I exceed my bag limit?
All items in excess of the bag limit will be left at the curb. It is the owner's responsibility to remove these items from the curb and place it back out for collection the following week(s) or dispose of it through a private contractor.
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I have a large household appliance, a piece of furniture or a roll of carpet to dispose of, what does that count as?
Appliances such as refrigerant units, microwaves, dishwashers, freezers, stoves, washing machines, clothes dryers, etc. are not accepted at the curb. Carpet is required to be rolled and tied no longer than 5' in length. Each bundle is considered to be one bag toward the limit. Each piece of furniture (i.e. couch, chair, dresser, etc) is also considered one bag toward the limit.
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There are two different sizes of toter carts, how do I know how much mine holds?
Yes, there are two different sizes of carts; a 95 gallon toter cart is equivalent to 4 garbage bags and a 68 gallon toter cart is equivalent to 3 garbage bags. Each toter cart has an imprint on the top of the lid which indicates the size. If it is not legible, a 95 gallon cart is 45" high and a 68 gallon toter cart is 40" high.
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What if I have a toter cart and a large item that needs to be collected?
If you have a 68 gallon toter cart, you are entitled to one other item. If you have a 95 gallon cart and a large item to dispose of, the toter cart would have to be half-full in order for the large item to be collected as well. The contractor will use their discretion to determine if the large item is within the 4 bag limit.
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What happens if I leave my excess garbage at the curb until next week's collection?
The Municipality reserves the right to clean up excess amounts of garbage and invoice the owner accordingly.
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What is considered hazardous waste?
Ammonia, bleach, pool chemicals, gasoline, antifreeze, paints, solvents, BBQ Starter, pesticides, rat poison, cleaning fluids, battery acids, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, needles, pharmaceuticals.
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Do we have a hazardous waste depot in Chatham-Kent?
Not in our Municipality. Please contact your nearest Municipal Centre to inquire when our next Household Hazardous Waste Day will be held. It is held one Saturday in September each year.
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Where do I take my empty paint cans, propane tanks, old refrigerators?
Empty and dried out paint cans without lids can be placed at the curb for collection.
Empty propane tanks can be disposed of at a Transfer Station.
As of July 1, 2008 appliances such as refrigerant units, microwaves, dishwashers, freezers, stoves, washing machines, clothes dryers, etc. will not be accepted at the curb. Please refer to the link called 'Changes to Curbside Collection' to the right for further details.
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How do I dispose of used needles and/or syringes?
Needles and/or syringes may be dropped off at some pharmacies (please call first) and at the annual Household Hazardous Waste Day.
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Where do I take my leaves and brush?
In the spring and fall, leaves and brush are picked up weekly with curbside collection, provided that it meets the size requirements of 5' and is tied and bundled. Each bundle counts as one bag. Some Transfer Stations take leaves and brush for free as well as our Leaf and Yard Depots. Please see Leaf and Yard Depots for locations and hours under Useful Links.
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Where can I get wood mulch and compost?
Free wood mulch and compost is available at most Leaf and Yard Depots. Please refer to Leaf and Yard Depots under Useful Links.
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What happens to the recyclables collected from Chatham-Kent residents?
All acceptable recyclable material placed in a blue/black box or delivered to a rural transfer station is delivered to Chatham-Kent Recycling, a private company located in the Community of Raleigh. The various types of recyclable material (plastics, cans, glass, paper, etc.) are then source separated and processed at this facility prior to being shipped to end recycling markets located throughout Ontario. The recyclables are then 'recycled' into other useable items. Some of these items include:
Plastic
- used for the production of fleece, carpet yarn, plastic buckets, CD cases, plastic lumber for decks or playground equipment, rulers, t-shirts, window frames, etc.
Office Paper - may be turned into writing paper, tissue and towel products, etc.
Newsprint - recycled into new newsprint, insulation and animal bedding products, etc.
Corrugated cardboard/boxboard - often processed back into these same items
Aluminum cans - recycled into new aluminum cans, car body parts etc.
Glass - is turned back into glass bottles, jars, stained glass, glass tiles, etc.
In 2008, Chatham-Kent diverted 5,435 tonnes of blue box materials from all sources. This is an increase of 30% since 2006.
Keep up the good work Chatham-Kent!