Over 6,600 kg of garbage dumped in forest last year, says county

Last year, over 6,690 kilograms of dumped waste was removed from the county forest and shockingly, most of it was recyclable. (County of Simcoe)

Over 6,690 kilograms of garbage was dumped in the Simcoe County Forest last year and most of it was recyclable, says the County of Simcoe.

Municipal officials are reminding residents that forests are meant for recreation and nature only. “Our forests are for exploring, relaxing and enjoying nature, not dumping ground shortcuts.”

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​According to its website, the Simcoe County Forest is the largest and most productive municipal woodlands in Ontario, totaling more than 34,000 acres.

Curbside collection

Residents are encouraged to use curbside collection, large-item pickup services or waste local facilities instead of abandoning garbage and recycling elsewhere.

Recycling collection in Simcoe County is managed by Circular Materials under Ontario’s Extended Producer Responsibility framework.

Pickup is handled by Enterra Environmental Inc., while garbage and organics remain under Miller Waste contract.

The county says materials should be placed at the curb by 7 a.m. on resident’s designated collection day. Recycling drop-offs at transfer stations have a minimum $10 charge, with fees set at $200 per tonne.

What’s accepted?

Accepted curbside recycling materials include paper, cardboard, plastics, metal containers, glass jars and bottles, cartons and food packaging.

All recycling inquiries including missed collections, cart repair, cart delivery and more are sent to Emterra at 1-888-597-1541.

For a full list of what goes in the blue box, click here.