Call us on:
+1 (416) 265-7979
At Scarborough Disposal, we understand how challenging it can be to figure out what is e-waste, and how important it is to dispose of it properly. Even if you have a stack of old electronics lying around, you can dispose of them any time as we provide year-round services for bin rental in East York.
If you’re looking to get rid of e-waste in Toronto, but unsure where such things go, this guide will tell you what items are considered e-waste disposal and how to dispose of them. If you live outside of Toronto, there are different certified e-waste disposal programs in each area. To find out about these programs in Ontario, however, you need to contact your municipality as they might differ from the City of Toronto.
The following items on the list are considered e-waste in the City of Toronto and cannot be picked up on your front lawn for curbside pickup:
It’s important to understand that even if an item is made with an electrical cord, it might not be considered e-waste. Please check with your municipality. If the item you want to dispose of isn’t on this list, you can throw it away in your regular garbage for weekly curbside pick up.
E-waste is different from tossing out garbage bags on your front lawn to be picked up. All materials require specific preparation because if you neglect to prepare them properly, your e-waste can be hazardous. Here are 5 steps to follow when preparing your items for e-waste disposal:
Go through your items based on the list provided and sort through them. Next, place them in separate boxes as you decide if you want to keep, donate, or sell them.
If you are getting rid of a laptop, cellular phone, or tablet, you need to delete the remaining data on each device. For instance, for any videos, photographs, and files that are personal, we suggest deleting them all or transferring these files to a storage cloud if you are going to need them later in the future.
If some of the items you want to donate or dispose of are old and dusty, wipe them down with a clean towel. If you plan to donate them to second-hand stores or charities, double-check to see if they are operating properly. If they are dead regardless of them being plugged in, you might need to dispose of them as e-waste.
If the gadgets and items you are disposing of have batteries in them, you need to take them out and get rid of them separately. Batteries are considered as household hazardous waste and you can dispose of single-use batteries in the garbage.
If you live in an apartment or condominium, the superintendent or property manager will be able to tell you where to properly dispose of garbage and recycling. For other sources of e-waste disposal, check out the City of Toronto’s Waste Wizard. Just enter the items you want to throw away in the search engine and it will give you options on where to go at no cost!
Once you have organized the items you want to dispose of, the fun starts. The following are sources that will take your old electronics and e-waste. Contact your local source by email or phone first to see if they will accept your items.
Contact your garbage collection service and ask if they will take the items you want to get rid of. If your garbage collection service offers a curbside service, all you have to do is haul the items out yourself to the curb before the scheduled pick-up date.
Look into donating your items to a second-hand store like Value Village as they accept donations of working electronics. Many people need to save money and don’t mind using an older model of a laptop, cellular phone, radio, or television, especially if they can get it at a cheap price.
If you want to bypass a second-hand store, find a recycling facility in your city. This is the safest way to handle e-waste disposal because these items can be repurposed to add value to other working items.
Donating your e-waste to registered charities in Canada is a great way to get rid of your items while helping out your community. To find the closest charity in your area, check out the 2021 Top 100 Rated Charities by clicking here.
If you’re looking to make some extra cash on the side, you can try to sell your e-waste items on classified websites such as Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace. If you’re willing to negotiate a deal with potential buyers, this can be a promising source.
If you have many big items that you have no interest in donating or reselling, to make things easier, enlist the help of a bin rental service that can remove your e-waste.
When you contact our team at Scarborough Disposal, we’ll make sure your e-waste is disposed of responsibly. We never enter a home and we do not lift or assist with loading the bin. All of our contractors have WSIB Clearance Certificates, and our dumpster trucks are fully licensed and covered with liability insurance. If you would like to request a no-obligation estimate on our bin rentals in East York, call us at Scarborough Disposal at (416) 265-7979 or contact us here.