Specialized Recycling Programs

The Bulky Plastic Recycling Pilot Program has been a great success! We have already diverted over 100 Tonnes of bulky plastics from our landfills in the first year and a half of the pilot. In April 2023, Council approved making the Bulky Plastic Recycling program a permanent diversion program.

To participate in this program, all bulky plastic items should be brought to the Lindsay Landfill for recycling free of charge. Please note, bulky plastic items brought to our other four landfills will be considered waste and regular tipping fees will apply.

Bulky plastics are also accepted free of charge at our four Round Up days each Summer. Check out our Round Up section or check your Municipal Calendar to find the closest one to you!

Bulky Plastics Include:

• plastic beverage crates (milk crates)
• plastic lawn furniture
• clean plastic drums
• totes
• empty garbage and recycling bins
• clean plastic buckets and pails (remove metal handles)
• plastic laundry baskets
• plastic tool and gun cases (empty)
• large plastic flower pots

Things to note:

• Items must be clean of dirt and debris, and contain no metal.
• Items must be greater than 10 litres or 10 kilograms capacity (2.5 gallon) up to and including the size of Kawartha Lakes’ largest recycling bin (95 gallon).

• Please note that the following will not be accepted as Bulky Plastic: toys, tarps, carpet, liners, pool covers, dock barrels, PVC/ABS pipes, vinyl siding, boat wrap, coolers, inflatables or anything that contains metal or electronic components.

Any questions or inquiries can be emailed to your Waste Management Team or call 705-324-9411.

The City is currently operating a mixed Construction and Demolition waste diversion program for residents at the Lindsay Ops landfill site. All collected material will be recycled to help reduce waste and extend the life of the landfill. Regular tipping fees will apply. Items accepted may include:

• Painted/unpainted wood
• Wood containing nails and hardware (knobs and hinges)
• Shingles
• Concrete and rubble
• Drywall (gypsum) 

Mattresses are currently recycled at the Lindsay Ops Landfill only. Unfortunately, the program cannot be expanded to our other four landfill locations due to the limited space available at those sites. Therefore, the municipality does not accept mattresses at the Fenelon, Eldon, Somerville, or Laxton landfills.

Residents don’t have to go to the Lindsay Ops Landfill to recycle mattresses or box springs, they can easily dispose of mattresses and/or box springs through our convenient curbside collection program. It’s as simple as following the three steps below:

1)     Purchase a virtual curbside mattress recycling tag online here or in person at one of our Municipal Service Centres.

2)     Call Miller Waste at 1-888-557-4711 to schedule a pick up on your regular collection day.

3)     Put the mattress/box spring out at your curb by 7am the morning of your regular collection day.

For contractors:

If your load contains one or more mattresses you will be given the option to remove the mattresses after the load is dumped and bring them to the Lindsay Ops trailer to be recycled or you will be charged the mixed load tipping fee rate for your entire load.

Thank you for recycling your mattresses!

Any questions or inquiries can be emailed to your Waste Management Team or call 705-324-9411.

Bring your scrap metal items to any landfill for free recycling. Accepted items include:

• bed frames
• kitchen hood vents
• desk legs
• metal furniture
• metal car parts
• electric motors
• cooking pots and pans
• stoves
• empty and completely dry metal-bottomed paint cans

As per new regulations the City will no longer be accepting tires at landfill sites as of July 1, 2020. Tire producers are responsible for recycling tires. There are many collection sites within Kawartha Lakes which must accept tires for recycling, such as garages and vendors.  

There is a search tool on Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority's (RPRA) website to assist you with finding a close and convenient collection site. For more information, visit their website and type in your postal code to find a collection site near you, or call them at toll free line: 1-833-600-0530

If your business generates tires through your operations, you are required to register with the RPRA as a collection site to receive tire pick up.  For questions please visit the website above or contact RPRA at 1-833- 600-0530

Any questions or inquiries can be emailed to your Waste Management Team or call 705-324-9411.