The Waste Wizard - What is it?

Example of Toronto's Waste Wizard Webpage. Credit: City of Toronto.

Ever wondered how to properly dispose of an item? Which bin should I put batteries into? We’ve all been there, confused about which bin to throw something in. With Waste Wizard, it’s never been easier to find out what to do. 

Waste Wizard is a website built by many municipalities, to help citizens like you and me understand how to properly recycle and dispose of materials. You can search for it on any web browser. However, since many regions have made their own Waste Wizard webpage, you can search for it online by entering the region you are in along with your search (e.g. Simcoe County or Toronto).

Here are some quick links to help you find your region’s Waste Wizard:

Toronto: Click Here! 

Simcoe County: Click Here! 

York Region: Click Here! 

Barrie: Click Here! 

Additionally, Waste Wizard is also a free app called Towaste. It is available for both Apple and Android users and can be found on many app stores. It’s a tool that can definitely help us all become more climate-responsible citizens. This being said, which bin do the batteries actually belong in?

The batteries were actually a trick question, batteries shouldn’t be disposed of in the Blue Bin (recycling), Green Bin (organics), or the Garbage. So where should they go? If we navigate to the Waste Wizard, we can get our answer in seconds. I will use the Toronto website as a demonstration. Here we are: 

Example of the result you would get when you search for an item on Waste Wizard. Credit: City of Toronto.

So it turns out that batteries need to be brought to a proper disposal facility. With a quick search on the Waste Wizard, we have our answer in seconds. This tool can definitely help us all properly dispose of materials, preventing recyclables from ending up in landfills, and properly getting rid of hazardous items like batteries. 

Let’s all be environmentally aware of our garbage, and utilize Waste Wizard when we are unsure how to properly dispose of an item. 

Citations:

City of Toronto. (n.d.-b). Waste Wizard. Retrieved March 31, 2024, from https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/recycling-organics-garbage/waste-wizard/