Solid Waste Management - What Goes Where
Not sure what goes where?
Large bulky items such as old furniture (couches, mattresses, table, etc.)
Large items are not permitted curbside for regular collection. Once a year, in the spring, there is a heavy garbage collection where large items such as furniture, appliances, etc. can be placed curbside for collection. If you do not wish to hold on to your bulky items until the spring, they can be dropped off at the Guysborough Waste Management Facility located at 151 Waste Management Road, Boylston, NS, B0H 1G0 for a drop off fee.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
Household Hazardous Waste is waste material generated from our homes that poses a risk to health, safety, or the environment. This includes flammable, combustible, corrosive, and toxic products. HHW can be dropped off at Guysborough Waste Management Facility located at 151 Waste Management Road, Boylston, NS, B0H 1G0, for a fee.
Examples of accepted HHW items may include:
- Batteries of all types
- Leftover corrosive cleaners
- Pesticides/herbicides
- Gasoline
- Fuel oil
- Solvents and thinners
- Pharmaceuticals and drugs
- Aerosol cans containing hazardous substances
- BBQ propane tanks
- Small propane cylinders (e.g., camp fuel)
- Motor oil (or contact your oil retailer for a used drop-off site near you)
Construction and Demolition (C&D) debris
Construction and demolition debris means materials which are normally used in the construction of buildings, structures, roadways, walls and other landscaping material.
C&D debris includes, but is not limited to:
- Soil
- Asphalt
- Brick
- Mortar
- Drywall
- Plaster
- Cellulose
- fiberglass fibers
- Gyproc
- Lumber
- Wood
- Asphalt shingles
- Metals
C&D debris can be dropped off to the Guysborough Waste Management Facility located at 151 Waste Management Road, Boylston, NS, B0H 1G0f for a fee.
Household Medical Waste
Nova Scotians can return sharps (needles, syringes, or lancets) and unwanted or unused medications to local pharmacies for safe disposal - for free.
Most local pharmacies participate in the province’s safe sharps program, which is administered and funded by Nova Scotia’s pharmacies, sharps manufacturers and medication distributors. Through this program, Nova Scotians can access a proper container for disposing of sharp needles in a safe manner. Once the container is full, it can be returned to the local pharmacy.
Used needles, syringes, or lancets should only be placed in a Safe Sharps container.
- DO NOT put them in plastic bottles or jugs
- DO NOT put them in garbage or recycling bags
- DO NOT flush them down the toilet
- DO NOT burn them
The Safe Sharps program does not include used sharps from medical, dental or veterinary clinics, home care professionals, intravenous drug users, or farms. To properly dispose of these types of sharps, please contact your respective professional association.
Click here to learn more about the Safe Sharps Program by Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia (PANS).
The unsafe disposal of sharps presents a health and safety risk to front-line waste workers. Visit #Dontbeaprick to learn more.
Household batteries (AA, AAA, etc.)
Did you know that batteries contain hazardous materials that have the potential to cause adverse environmental and health effects? Keep batteries out of landfills by recycling them though Call2Recycle battery and cell phone collection program.
The Port Hawkesbury Civiv Centre is now an official Call2Recycle battery collection site.
The collection box can be found just past the box office in the main lobby of the Civic Centre
Call2Recycle accepts single use and rechargeable batteries weighing under 5kg.
Call2Recycle will not accept:
- Batteries weighing more than 5 kgs
- Wet cell batteries (composed of a liquid), such as car or boat batteries
- Lithium Ion rechargeable batteries over 300 watt hours
- Lithium primary batteries with over 25 grams of lithium content
- Any batteries that do not fit in a Call2Recycle collection box
Textiles
Used clothes and household textiles are recyclable around the province through charitable donation drop-off locations.
Over 7,000 tonnes of textiles are recycled annually, however, another 30,000 tonnes still end up in Nova Scotian landfills. Old clothes, shoes, and accessories can have a new life in somebody else’s closet, and household bedding and other textiles can be recycled and used in a variety of different ways.
Each year, 100 million pounds of donated items are collected, diverted from landfill and used to help fund Diabetes research.
Even worn and damaged items are acceptable for donation bins. Textiles which are not in good enough condition to be donated could be used as rags for cleaning or repurposed into craft material. Contact your local animal shelters and veterinarian hospitals to see if they are accepting old sheets, blankets and towels.
Click Here to Find a Donation Bin Near You
Tires
Nova Scotians can return up to four regulated used tires for recycling to any tire retailer in the province, during their regular business hours - free of charge.
When you are purchasing new tires, or putting on winter/summer tires, simply leave any unwanted or worn-out tires at the tire retailer.
When you purchase on-road passenger tires, you pay a one-time environmental fee to support the cost of collecting and processing used tires. Divert NS—in partnership with retailers—administers a stewardship agreement to help facilitate keeping used tires out of our provincial landfills.
What’s Included
- Car and truck tires
- Motorcycle tires
- Camper tires
- Trailer tires
These used tires can be returned to any tire retailer in Nova Scotia. Unwanted or worn-out tires returned to the tire retailer must be off rim and free of mud and debris.
What’s Not Included
- Tires larger than 24.5 inches
- Off-road tires from All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
- Tires from farming and other heavy equipment
- Tires sold in Nova Scotia but delivered or shipped out-of-province. (For example, new tires sold for export to an out-of-province address as stated on the bill of sale or invoice, or new tires purchased on a new vehicle sold to an out-of-province address as stated on the vehicle bill of sale)
Download the list of current tire retailers.
