Frequently Asked Questions

Stewardship Ontario carries out its mandate on behalf of and with funding from the industry, or the producers and brand owners whose products and containers are classified as “hazardous” or “special” waste. Stewardship Ontario is authorized under the Waste Diversion Act to assess fees and is accountable for how it runs the program and for achieving set goals to WDO, which is accountable to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

The cost of running the MHSW Program – collecting, transporting and processing your hazardous household waste – is covered by the companies (our stewards) that produce or distribute them. Steward fees are used to:

• Improve existing voluntary MHSW collection programs and develop new ones to help people and companies reduce, reuse and recycle more of these wastes
• Support the voluntary MHSW collection programs operated by municipalities, private companies and not-for-profit organizations, making it more convenient for people to dispose of leftovers and packaging safely
• Manage the materials collected in an environmentally responsible manner, so that leftovers, such as paint, will be reused or recycled, reducing the amount going to landfill.

In some cases, you may see a fee added to the price of products at checkout. Brand owners may choose to pass the cost of programs on to retailers, who, in turn, may choose to show a fee separately at point of sale. These fees – sometimes referred to as eco-fees – are used exclusively to pay for operating the MHSW program, including collection, transportation, reuse and recycling, processing, research and development and consumer education. The fee is not a tax and none of the funds collected go to government. 

To find the nearest collection site to you click here or tour the Virtual House by clicking the banner at the bottom of this page. There are many depots - both municipal and commercial - that accept MHSW materials from the public, and Stewardship Ontario is working to increase those numbers. Keep in mind that not all materials are collected at each location, so please double check before you leave for your next drop.

To find the nearest automotive collection depot to you click here or find the item(s) you want to return by clicking the banner at the bottom of this page and visit the Virtual House. There are many depots - both municipal and commercial - that accept MHSW materials from the public, and Stewardship Ontario is working to increase those numbers. Keep in mind that not all materials are collected at each location, so please double check before you leave for your next drop.

While the dangers of materials we use – sometimes on a daily basis – aren’t always immediately obvious, these products can damage our sewer systems and waterways and become part of the leachate (chemicals and other dissolved components in garbage in landfill) that can contaminate the environment and our drinking water. Commonly used hazardous products can pollute the air, water and soil and recombine to form other even more dangerous compounds.

You can search by material, community or postal code to find the drop-off points nearest you. Keep in mind that retailers are authorized to collect certain types of waste only, e.g., depending on the retailer, spent batteries, used fluorescents, empty oil containers or leftover paint, so be sure to double-check the materials that are accepted before you leave. It’s also a good idea to visit your municipal or public works website, as these often provide tips and instructions when it comes to disposing of hazardous or special waste in your community.

No, our stewards pick up all the costs associated with collecting, transporting and processing their leftovers once the materials they produce or distribute reach the end of their useful lives. The program is designed for households, so there are limits set on the amount of material and the volume of containers that can be dropped off at any one time. Review our list of designated materials, or check with your municipality or collection centre in advance.

Sometimes it’s easy to recognize hazardous products by their names – words like solvent, herbicide, caustic, acid or pesticide – or by the symbols that appear in inverted triangles or octagons. However, many materials that aren’t necessarily toxic, flammable, corrosive or reactive/explosive pose a threat to our environment and so require special care at the end of their useful lives.

Two of the three Rs – reuse and recycle – apply. The materials you take to a collection location will be handled according to reuse and recycling priorities. Municipalities may provide materials like leftover paints, pool chemicals and fertilizers to visitors free of charge. Some leftovers, like paint and antifreeze can be recycled into good-as-new paint and antifreeze, and other products can be recycled into useful materials. For example, used oil filters can be recycled into steel. If your waste can’t be reused or recycled, we’ll make sure that it’s disposed of in the most environmentally appropriate way.

Prior to the launch of the MHSW program on July 1, 2008, existing programs collected about 16,000 tonnes annually. We aim to more than double this diversion rate over the next three years.

Stewardship Ontario is a not-for-profit organization that is funded and governed by the industries (our stewards) that make and market the products and packaging materials managed under Ontario’s Blue Box and MHSW programs. We touch the lives of Ontarians every day – whether they are putting something in their blue box or returning empty oil containers, unused paint or spent batteries to a depot or retail partner.

We work to keep all of this material out of landfill and to recover its full value at the end of its useful life. We are always looking to find ways to turn today’s waste into tomorrow’s consumer products. You expect it and our stewards require it – our job is to meet that need.

Got a question? infostewardshipontario [dot] ca (E-mail) us and let us know. We’ll get back to you, and if your question turns up a few times, we’ll add it to the questions on this page.