Frequently Asked Questions
View Our Frequently Asked Questions Below!
There are three main reasons why your blue box may have not been collected:
- You’ve mixed paper products with plastic and metal containers. In Quinte, residents are asked to keep paper separate from plastic and metal containers. Take the sorting tutorial here.
- You placed paper products in the taller (more than 18″ high) blue box. The tall blue box is for plastic and metal containers only. Paper products belong in the standard smaller sized blue box.
- You’ve set your recycling out late. Our drivers start their days at 7AM, and have since 1990. While collection days do not change, routes often do. To ensure collection, always have your blue box out by 7AM.
- You’re put non-recyclables in the blue box. Click here for a list of what is accepted in the blue box program.
- Your materials are dirty. Dirty recycling contaminates the good materials. Make sure your recycling is relatively clean and dry.
- There’s medical waste in your blue box. No amount of medical waste is recyclable. For more information, visit our page on Medical Waste.
While the plastic that oil containers are made of is recyclable (hence the symbol), the problem is that the oil in the container gets absorbed right into the plastic, contaminating the plastic for recycling purposes. Companies that purchase this high-density polyethylene plastic (code 2) quite simply do not want to accept loads of plastic that contain empty oil containers. You can take empty oil containers to our Household Hazardous Waste Depot or any mobile event.
Fluorescent tubes are recyclable through our Hazardous Waste Collection Program. Download a copy of our Household Hazardous & Electronic Waste Schedule and list of acceptable items. Regular incandescent bulbs are not recyclable and should go in the garbage.
Blue boxes are usually available from your local municipal office. While there is normally a fee of about $15.00 policies may vary from one municipality to the next. You can also exchange your broken blue box for a new one, free of charge. Click here to find a location near you.