McGill Student Waste Guide | Waste Less!

SSMU Environment & Sustainability

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WASTE GUIDE IN THIS GUIDE:

1. How to sort your waste 1. a. Québec regulations a. b. Waste sorting on campus b. c. Waste sorting at home c.

2. Resources 2. a. Get a free compost bin a. b. Get a free recycling bin b. c. Bottle/can recycling c. d. More tips! d.

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HOW TO SORT YOUR WASTE W‌ ‌STE‌ MCGILL! MCGILL! LESS‌

WASTE SORTING

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DID YOU KNOW?

MORE QUESTIONS?

Waste sorting regulations across Québec were revamped this year. That means the way you sort waste has changed!

Québec’s ça va où app/website has a comprehensive list of how to sort every waste item.

*NEW* WASTE SORTING Most waste that previously went in the landfill stream now goes in recycling. You DO NOT need to sort your recycling. Compostable items remain unchanged.

COMPOST

LANDFILL WASTE

Organic waste Recyclable items with organic stains

Styrofoam Aerosol cans Compostable bags

RECYCLABLES

Everything else!

WHAT ABOUT ELECTRONICS? Hazardous waste is any waste that doesn’t fall into the categories above, such as batteries and electronics.

Hazardous Waste Management provides disposal for McGillians free of charge!

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WASTE SORTING DID YOU KNOW? All waste bins on McGill campus are the same. They have four (or three) streams, sorted by colour and type of waste. Learn the distinction below!

SO... WHAT GOES WHERE? McGill waste streams:

YES!

NO...

Inorganic materials; non-compostable coffee cups; liquids; waxed or laminated plastic/cardboard; textiles; animal waste; and non-compostable cups.

Coffee cups; paper products stained with grease or food; dirty or wet paper products.

Broken and flat glass.

Clean and dry recyclable plastic, glass or metal, paper, and cardboard; organic waste, and hazardous waste.

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WASTE SORTING SORTING WASTE AT HOME Most waste in your home can be sorted into

COMPOST

1.

2.

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DID YOU KNOW? Anything you put in the trash (landfill waste) goes directly to the landfill - this is the worst for the environment!

3 CATEGORIES:

RECYCLABLES

3.

LANDFILL WASTE

Waste sorting works differently at home than on campus. Your recyclable items can be put in one bin (instead of the 2 streams like on campus). Some items that you would put in the Blue Recyclables stream on campus are also accepted as compost in Montréal - check out page 3 for a full guide on which items go in your Brown Bin (compost).

STEP-BY-STEP FOR AT HOME SORTING: 1.

Put compostable items in your Brown Bin! Food waste, paper/cardboard soiled by food, and solid papers should be composted.

STEP

2.

If it can’t be composted, make sure you recycle it.

Most of your waste can be recycled; that means ALL plastic, metal, paper, cardboard, and glass. You do not need to sort your recycling in Québec.

STEP

3.

If it can’t be recycled or composted, put it in the trash bin.* The regular trash bin should be your last resort - your trash bag should be the smallest!

STEP

*Some things, like bulky items and hazardous waste (like batteries) can’t be put in any of the three categories above. You can find a full list of how to dispose of these items here.

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RESOURCES W‌ ‌STE‌ MCGILL! MCGILL! LESS‌

GETTING BROWN BINS

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ABOUT BROWN BINS Organic waste in Montréal is collected through Brown Bins. They come in four different sizes depending on your needs.

You can also get a smaller Mini Bin for your kitchen or dining room if you feel that you don’t produce enough waste for a full Brown Bin.

GETTING A BIN Brown Bins and Mini Bins are provided to you for

FREE!

When you request a Brown Bin, you will also be provided with a Mini Bin. If you have a lease, you should check with your landlord to see if they have already requested a bin at your location - the city will only provide one Brown Bin/Mini Bin per address.

Request a free Brown Bin and/or Mini Bin: Request a free Brown Bin and Mini Bin

WHAT GOES IN A BROWN BIN? RAW, COOKED OR SPOILED FOOD

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PAPER/CARDBOARD SOILED BY FOOD

Full list of accepted items

SOILED PAPER

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GETTING RECYCLING BINS

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ABOUT RECYCLING BINS

All types of recyclable materials in Montréal are collected through Recycling bins.

Some bins are blue, others are green, and Small Bins are grey with a light green lid. Despite the colour difference, all bins can be used for any of your recyclables in Montréal. The new Quebec laws are trying to make the shift towards only blue bins!

GETTING A BIN Recycling Bins are provided to you for

FREE!

You are entitled to one large bin per address. If you live in an apartment building, chances are your building already has a large recycling bin - you can check with your landlord to see if this is the case.

Even if your building has a large bin, you are still entitled to a Small Bin for your unit.

Request a free Recycling Bin/Small Bin: Request a free Recycling Bin/Small Bin Get a bin repaired: Request a bin repair

WHAT GOES IN A RECYCLING BIN? CLEAN AND EMPTY PAPER, CARDBOARD, METAL AND GLASS

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Full list of accepted items

UNSOILED PLASTIC WRAPPERS

OTHER PLASTICS

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BOTTLE/CAN RECYCLING

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DID YOU KNOW? You pay a deposit on all beverage cans/bottles you buy in Québec. You can get the deposit back when you recycle used cans/bottles at designated drop-off sites.

WHAT CAN I RECYCLE?

WHERE CAN I RECYCLE? Drop-Off Site Map - McGill Import our Google Map of drop-off sites close to McGill student neighbourhoods!

Import the map

Plastic bottles between 100ml and 2L All glass bottles All aluminium cans

Full list of accepted items

$$$ 2c

Drop-Off Site Map - Cosignaction Check out the Cosignaction page of drop-off sites across Québec!

Visit the site

10-25 CENTS

You can get back for every bottle you recycle at a drop-off site!

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WASTE REDUCTION

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REDUCE SINGLE USE PLASTICS Over 50% of waste produced in any given city comes from packaging. Of all packaging, single-use plastic is the worst for the environment. To reduce your impact, consider using reusable alternatives instead!

USE NEWSPAPER AS COMPOST LINING Instead of buying a composting bag, consider using newspaper or other paper to line your compost bin. Paper items can be composted in Montréal (see page 2a), making this an effective way to reduce your waste and save money.

CHOOSE TO HAVE RECEIPTS EMAILED Receipts are commonly printed on paper with a semi-plastic lining, making it non-recyclable in Montréal. When you have the option, chose to have your receipts emailed so you don’t contribute more to landfill waste.

FOLLOW US FOR MORE TIPS! @ssmuenvironment Visit our website!

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