Oakville encourages responsible disposal of household waste products during spring cleaning

Don’t let spring cleaning your homes turn into spring dumping in our parks. The Town of Oakville is reminding residents and visitors not to throw out their household garbage in public park bins. 

Not only does it violate the Parks By-law 2013-013 but when household waste ends up in public park containers, it often leads to overflowing garbage, messy trails, litter spread by wildlife, and damage to local ecosystems. It also makes it harder for our dedicated town parks staff to maintain safe and welcoming spaces for everyone.

Even natural waste can harm the environment. Sod, old potting soil, and yard and garden clippings can introduce new species and contaminants that could overtake existing plants, create nesting areas for rodents and attract larger animals, like coyotes. Water from downspouts and pools is also considered unwanted waste. If drained into parkland or trails, it can contaminate our waterways, introduce toxins, cause flooding and contribute to soil and trail erosion. Learn the proper way to drain water from your property, following the town’s by-law, on our Property Drainage and Grading page. 

The Region of Halton is here to help you get rid of your household waste responsibly, including through its curbside waste collection program for garbage, recycling and composting. Not sure which colour bin to place your waste? Visit Halton’s ‘Put Waste In Its Place’ web page and find out how best to dispose of items such as batteries, paint, food scraps or used cellphones. Learn more about the online collection schedule, recycling and waste sorting guide, waste collection in apartment and condominium buildings, recycling and waste tools, and other resources at halton.ca.

Need a replacement blue box or green cart? Call 311 to confirm availability and then visit the Halton Waste Management Site at 5400 Regional Road 25 in Milton, open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Broken blue boxes and green carts can be recycled into new containers and may be returned and exchanged for free.

Help keep our parks clean and green – report any illegal dumping and overflowing bins using our online Report a Problem tool on oakville.ca or through ServiceOakville at service@oakville.ca or 905-845-6601.

Together, let’s make this spring a season of clean homes and clean parks. With your help, we can keep Oakville’s greenspaces an enjoyable experience for everyone.