Change has become necessary to Muskoka’s waste program to reduce garbage and extend the life of Muskoka’s one remaining landfill. At less than 40% waste diversion, the District is struggling to meet diversion goals as top municipalities in the province recycle, reduce and divert over 60% of their waste.  

Starting May 1, the following changes will occur: 

New contractor begins summer service

Starting next week, GFL’s green trucks will begin to travel summer-only roads for the first time. To avoid missed collection, residents are reminded to place materials out by 7 a.m. and check all set-out requirements.

Garbage bag limits

Curbside garbage bag limits changed last Fall. A reminder that when weekly collection resumes on Monday, the no charge bag limit in the green bin area is one bag per week. In areas without green bin collection, two bags per week of garbage are permitted. For more information on how to reduce weekly garbage, please check our website. Bag tags for additional garbage can also be purchased at any transfer station. 

Bag limit relief

Special programs have been approved to help residents adjust to reducing garbage. One clear bag of diapers / incontinence products can be dropped off weekly for no charge at all District waste facilities. One extra garbage bag (no bag tag required) is permitted at the curb on regular collection days the week of Victoria Day, Canada Day, the August Civic Holiday, and Labour Day. 

New hours at Georgian Bay depots 

Both the South Gibson Depot and Honey Harbour Depot will have new staffed hours of operation starting May 1. Investment in supervision of waste drop-off locations was recommended as part of the Waste Strategy to reduce illegal dumping and comply with environmental regulations, to protect our only landfill and keep waste costs sustainable. 

To stay updated and for more information on these changes, dates for leaf and yard waste collection, and the District’s other diversion programs, please visit www.muskokarecycles.ca and download the Muskoka Recycles App for free from Google Play or the App Store. 

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“Responsibly managing waste is part of our commitment to protect Muskoka’s environment”, said District Chair, John Klinck. “Our current diversion performance is poor and these changes are critical to reduce garbage and encourage all residents to think about waste when they buy products and use all options to reuse, recycle and compost before putting things in the garbage.”

What this means starting November 7, 2022 when bi-weekly winter collection resumes:

• New garbage bag limits – curbside garbage bag limits will be reduced by one bag per dwelling on November 7, 2022.  For the green bin area, that means one bag per week or two bags bi-weekly. For those without green bin collection, two bags per week or four bags bi-weekly are permitted.
• Expanding the curbside green bin program – additional households in Huntsville will receive green bins and curbside organics collection. Watch for bins to be delivered in the coming weeks.

• All together now – recyclable containers and paper products can be mixed together to make recycling even easier. Materials are kept separate from garbage and sent to a modern processing facility in the GTA to be sorted.

• Welcome aboard to GFL – green GFL trucks will be on Muskoka’s roads collecting starting in November. GFL was retained as the District’s new service provider in 2021 and is preparing to take over this important service for over 37,000 households.

Collection days are not changing. To avoid missed collection, residents are reminded to ensure materials are at on the curb by 7 a.m.

To stay updated and for more information, please see www.muskoka.on.ca/no-time-to-waste/ and download the Muskoka Recycles App for free from Google Play or the App Store. 

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