Garbage and Recycling

Get customized waste management information, including service alerts, collection reminders, waste facility information and mobile Waste Wizard by downloading the free Simcoe County Collects app via the:

• Google Play
• Apple Store 

Your GREEN CART is organics.

• Organics carts have a gravity-locking lid (leave in the locked position, it will open automatically when dumped)
• Full list of what is acceptable in your organics cart
• For occasional overflow material that does not fit in your cart, place material in green bin (2 feet apart from cart or any other object)
• Old green bins can be repurposed for occasional overflow or used​ to contain household items like pet food or sidewalk salt​
• Pet waste, kitty litter, and animal bedding belongs in your green cart! Please bag your pet waste material using paper or ​certified compostable bags.

Proper set out is important to ensure the mechanical arm can grab your cart efficiently. To ensure collection, place your cart:​

• with arrows facing the street (handles towards your house)
• 2 feet apart from other cart or any other object
• within 8 feet from the travelled portion of the road ​
• with lids closed (do not overstuff - see below under overflow instructions)

Your BLACK CART is Garbage.

• ​See a full list of garbage items
• For occasional overflow garbage that does not fit in your cart, place material garbage bags  with garbage tags affixed max of 5 (2 feet apart from cart or any other object)

If your garbage cannot fit into your garbage cart (with lid closed) it must be bagged separate (placed 2 feet apart from other cart or objects) with a garbage tag affixed.

Maximum 5 tagged ​bags bi-weekly per property (in addition to your garbage cart) are permitted.

For Bags - Place the tag around the neck of the bag and stick the glued sides of the tag together.

For Containers - Stick the tag to the top piece of garbage, so that it is VISIBLE when the lid is lifted.

Pick up garbage tags in Tay Township at the following locations:

Residential recycling collection in Simcoe County is now managed by Circular Materials, a not-for-profit organization appointed by producers under Ontario’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework.

This province-wide transition shifts responsibility for the collection and processing of blue box materials from municipalities to producers of recyclable products. The County of Simcoe will continue to manage garbage and organics collection, as well as operate waste-drop off facilities as usual.

Inquiries about recycling such as schedule information, missed pickups, and requests for repairs or new carts should be directed to Emterra at 1-888-597-1541 or customercareont@emterra.ca. 

Garbage and organics inquiries will still be handled by the County of Simcoe or through their Simcoe County Collects app.