RECYCLING PROGRAMS
Recycling FAQs
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Used Oil FAQs If your question is not answered in our FAQs, please email inquiries@mmsb.nl.ca to submit your question.
How can I recycle the used oil I generate at home? Residents can return used lubricating oil, crankcase oil, gear oil, and transmission fluid to an oil retailer or return facility, free of charge.  topWhen I get an oil change at a garage, is the used oil recycled? Yes. Garages are equipped to safely store used oil until it can be picked up by a hazardous waste hauler for recycling. topWhat types of oil can I recycle? Residents can recycle used lubricating oil, crankcase oil, gear oil, and transmission fluid. topIs there a deposit paid on oil? No deposit is paid on oil and you can return used lubricating oil free of charge. topHow should I collect and store my used oil before returning it for recycling? Used oil can be collected form your automobile, recreational vehicle, snow blower, lawn mower, or other machinery and stored in a clean, child-proof container. topCan I store other liquids in the same container as my used oil? No. Do not contaminate oil with other liquids such as gasoline, grease, chemical solvents, or paints. Residents can properly dispose of these products at a household hazardous waste facility or mobile collection event. Businesses can properly dispose of these products by contracting a hazardous waste hauler. A listing of hazardous waste haulers can be found in our 3R Guide. topCan I recycle other types of oil and automobile fluids? The Used Oil Recycling Program includes used lubricating oil, crankcase oil, gear oil, and transmission fluid. Automobile fluids (e.g., antifreeze, brake fluid, and power steering fluid), waste from refining operations, and oil derived from animal or vegetable fat are not accepted for recycling under the Used Oil Recycling Program. Residents can properly dispose of automobile fluids at a household hazardous waste facility or mobile collection event. Businesses can properly dispose of refining waste by contracting a hazardous waste hauler (look for a listing in our 3R Guide). Residents and businesses can dispose of used cooking oil by contacting Eco-Oil (look for the listing in our 3R Guide under cooking oil). topCan I return my used oil to a household hazardous waste drop-off site? Yes. Used oil is considered hazardous waste and is accepted at household hazardous waste depots and mobile collection events. topDo all oil retailers accept used oil for recycling? Oil retailers selling more than 1,000 litres of lubricating oil are required to accept used lubricating oil on site, or make arrangements with a nearby facility to take back used lubricating oil. topWhat happens to used oil when it is recycled? Once collected, used lubricating oil can be recycled and reprocessed for use again as a lubricant or fuel. topHow can I properly dispose of my oil filter? Oil filters should be thoroughly drained, tied up in a plastic bag, and disposed of with your household garbage. topHow can I recycle the used oil I generate through my business? Businesses can recycle used oil, and other hazardous waste, by contracting a hazardous waste hauler. A listing of hazardous waste haulers can be found in our 3R Guide. topClick to display Used Oil FAQs Used Tire FAQs If your question is not answered in our FAQs, please email inquiries@mmsb.nl.ca to submit your question.
How can I recycle my vehicle's used tires? You can leave your used tires, at no cost, with a tire retailer upon the purchase of new tires. topHow can I recycle the tires I have stored in my basement? You can bring used tires, in manageable quantities (4-5 tires), to a tire retailer during their regular business hours. topWhat types of tires can be recycled? Used tires from passenger vehicles and light trucks (PLT), as well as medium truck tires (MTT) can be recycled as part of the Used Tire Recycling Program. topWhat types of tires can't be recycled? ATV, OTR (off the road), forklift, and other industrial tires are not included in the Used Tire Recycling Program. They can be disposed of by contacting your local landfill operator. topWhat can I do with my used ATV tires? ATV tires are not included in the Used Tire Recycling Program. Contact your local landfill operator for information on disposal. topWhat condition must my tires be in before I return them for recycling? Tires must be in whole form, free of mud and debris, and must have their rims removed before they are returned for recycling. topWhy do tire rims have to be removed before they are returned for recycling? Used tires cannot be recycled with the rims on. It is the consumer's responsibility to have tire rims removed before returning them for recycling. topOur town hosted a community clean-up and collected a large number of tires. Can these tires be recycled? Yes, as long as the tires are included in the Used Tire Recycling Program (used tires from passenger vehicles and light trucks, as well as medium truck tires) and are in the proper condition for recycling. To be recycled, used tires must be in whole form, free of mud and debris, and must have their rims removed. For more than 30 tires, contact MMSB (1-800-901-6672) to schedule a pick-up (tires are required to be accessible by truck and segregated from other garbage). topHow do I recycle the tires I have collected from consumers at my retail outlet? Once you have collected a minimum of 30 tires, you can contact the MMSB (1-800-901-6672) to schedule a pick-up. Please ensure that tires are segregated and accessible for pick-up. topClick to display Used Tires FAQs Beverage Container FAQs If your question is not answered in our FAQs, please email inquiries@mmsb.nl.ca to submit your question.
How many beverage containers are returned to Green Depots for recycling? Sixty-eight percent of beverage containers bought in Newfoundland and Labrador are returned to our network of Green Depots for recycling. topWhat are the beverage container deposits and refunds? You pay an 8 cent deposit on non-alcoholic beverage containers at the point of purchase and get a 5 cent refund when you return it to the Green Depot. For alcoholic beverage containers, you pay a 20 cent deposit and get a 10 cent refund. topWhy don't I get the full amount of my beverage container deposit back? A portion of the deposit you pay on beverage containers, 3 cents for non-alcoholic containers and 10 cents for alcoholic containers, pays for the cost of recycling, such as administration, handling, transportation, and processing costs. topWhat happens to the deposit when recyclables are not returned to a Green Depot for a refund? Beverage container deposits that are not refunded to the consumer are used to supplement the cost of running the Beverage Container Recycling Program. After that, surplus refunds are invested in the Waste Management Trust Fund, which is used to advance waste management in our province. topWhat is the relationship between the MMSB and the Green Depots? Green Depots are independently owned and operated businesses that are licensed by the MMSB to help carry out the Beverage Container Recycling Program. Each Green Depot is paid by MMSB through a per-container handling fee. MMSB also provides support to the Green Depots through special funding opportunities and marketing initiatives. MMSB ensures consistency among Depots though our Green Depot Licensing Standards. topCan I donate my recyclables to a non-profit group? Yes. Many non-profit groups collect beverage containers to raise funds. You can donate to non-profit groups by giving your beverage containers directly to the group or by putting your beverage containers on that group's account at the Green Depot. topWhat happens when I donate my beverage containers to a school or school account at the Green Depot? Many schools collect recyclables through the School Recycling Program to raise funds. Schools will collect their refund from the Green Depot and MMSB will match this amount, giving schools double the refund. Schools then reinvest a portion of this money back into environmental initiatives at school topMy non-profit group recycles to raise funds for our activities. Why doesn't MMSB match the recycling funds we raise like they do for schools? MMSB matches recycling refunds for the almost three hundred K-12 schools throughout the province as a way to help facilitate recycling at school and to help schools raise money to reinvest in environmental initiatives. Because there are so many non-profit groups doing great work in our province, MMSB is unable to extend matched refunds beyond K-12 schools. topWhy are milk containers not included in the Beverage Container Recycling Program? Because milk is considered to be an essential nutritional food product, especially for children, government has taken the policy decision to not tax this product in any way, including applying a recycling deposit. For this reason, milk is not included in the Beverage Container Recycling Program. This also includes milk substitutes such as soy milk, rice milk and almond milk. topAre there any milk beverage containers that can be recycled? Yes. Products that have the word beverage on the label such as vanilla milk beverage, soy milk beverage, rice milk beverage, and almond milk beverage can be recycled through the Beverage Container Recycling Program. topWhy can't I remove labels from my beverage containers? Green Depot operators and staff must be able to clearly identify the containers they receive to ensure they are included in the Beverage Container Recycling Program. For this reason, labels should be left on containers, wherever possible. topWhy can't I crush / flatten my beverage containers? There are a number of reasons why containers should not be crushed / flattened before they are returned to a Green Depot. First, beverage containers must be clearly identifiable by Green Depot operators and staff. Crushed / flattened containers are difficult to identify. Second, for the safety of staff working at Green Depots and processing facilities, there is a maximum amount of weight (number of containers) each bulk bag can accommodate. When containers are crushed / flattened, more containers fit into bulk bags, putting them over the acceptable weight limits. Third, when containers are processed, they are compacted into large cubes, called bales. Containers that have been crushed / flattened have very little memory left (i.e. they don't bounce back into shape) so they do not adhere together when they are baled at our processing centres, resulting in inadequate bales that could be rejected by end markets. topWhy do I have to remove caps from my beverage containers? There are a number of reasons why caps should be removed from containers before they are returned to a Green Depot. First, the repeated strain of removing caps can cause a health and safety issue for staff working at Green Depots. Second, when beverage containers are processed, they are compacted into large cubes, called bales. When caps are left on, air builds up inside containers, which can cause problems in the baling process. Third, caps are made of a different type of plastic than containers. Bales containing mixed plastic are of lesser quality and, therefore, have a lower market value. topWhy can't I return my domestic beer bottles to a Green Depot? Because local brewers operate their own deposit-refund system, domestic beer bottles (like Labatt and Molson) must be returned to a beer retailer or brewers bottle depot. Brewers Bottle Depot - 59 Robin Hood Bay Road, St. John's - 722-3300. topWhy do some Green Depots accept domestic beer bottles while others do not? Green Depots are independently owned and operated businesses that are licensed by the MMSB to help carry out the Beverage Container Recycling Program. Because domestic beer bottles are not part of the Beverage Container Recycling Program, Green Depots are not paid a handling fee by the MMSB to collect these containers. Some Green Depots, as a service to their customers, will accept domestic beer bottles (possibly at a reduced refund to cover their cost of handling the material). topWhy do some Green Depots accept material, like paper, newspaper or cardboard, while others do not? Green Depots are independently owned and operated businesses that are licensed by the MMSB to help carry out the Beverage Container Recycling Program. Some Green Depots, as a service to their customers, have provided bins for other recyclable material. These services are provided to the customer by the Green Depot and are separate from the licensing agreement between the Green Depot and the MMSB. topClick to display Beverage Containers FAQs Household Hazardous Waste FAQs If your question is not answered in our FAQs, please email inquiries@mmsb.nl.ca to submit your question.
Are all materials collected through HHW events recycled? Whenever possible, waste materials collected through HHW events are recycled. In some cases, however, the collected material can't be recycled, but it is disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner. topWhere do materials go to be recycled or disposed of? The majority of materials collected through HHW collection events are sent to Quebec for recycling and/or proper disposal. Other materials, such as propane cylinders and paint and paint products, are sent to Nova Scotia for recycling. And any oil collected through HHW events is recycled in Foxtrap, Newfoundland. topHow does HHW pollute the environment? Doesn't it just sit in the landfill? HHW materials, when disposed of with your garbage, can cause serious harm to the environment. When it rains, water runs through the landfill and when that water mixes with decomposing waste, a toxic liquid known as leachate is created. This leachate runs, or "leaches", from the dump and pollutes ground and surface water and soil. topAre there things I can do to avoid having hazardous waste in my home? Yes, there are things you can do to avoid having HHW materials in your home. There are natural, safe alternatives for many household products including toiletries, cleaners, and garden care products. Before bringing hazardous waste into your home, see what alternatives are available to you or if there are no alternatives available, only purchase the amount of HHW that you need. topWhy are the HHW collecting events only held once or twice per year? MMSB's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program is an interim program in the absence of more permanent infrastructure for proper HHW disposal. As the implementation of the Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy continues, more permanent infrastructure will be established throughout the province in which HHW materials will be recycled and/or properly disposed. topWhy wasn’t there a HHW event in my community this year? HHW collection events are hosted as a partnership between MMSB and participating municipalities. Each year, collection events are held in areas where significant amounts of hazardous waste can be collected and diverted from Newfoundland and Labrador's landfills in a cost-effective manner. Some municipalities will decide to hold an event every second year, based on the number of people attending the event. topHow can I safely store my hazardous waste until my community’s collection event? Whenever possible, hazardous waste materials should be stored in their original containers. Hazardous waste materials should be kept away from heat or flame and in an area that is not accessible to pets or children. Ensure that containers with residual material are closed tightly. topMy business generated hazardous waste. Can I bring it to a HHW collection event? The MMSB Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program is designed to deal specifically with hazardous waste generated in the home. Industrial, commercial, and institutional organizations must dispose of their hazardous waste through one of the commercial hazardous waste haulers in the province. topClick to display Household Hazardous Waste FAQs |