Thursday 31 October 2019

How Eco-Friendly, Sustainable Junk Removal Companies are Helping Clean Up Toronto

Canadians have been becoming more environmentally conscious in recent years. They have been making decisions more and more with the effects on the planet in mind. One of the most immediately impactful industries is the waste management industry. Today there are many different options for handling junk removal. In Toronto people are beginning to choose their options based on environmental concerns, and junk removal companies are adapting to this fact.
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How Eco-Friendly, Sustainable Junk Removal Companies are Helping Clean Up Toronto


These junk removal companies are highly systemized with dedicated staff. They follow strict policies that are put together by both the government and company. Workers accurately and carefully sort the junk that has been removed from homes, offices, or commercial buildings. Separation of junk into proper categories is a fundamental step to this process. This ensures that as much as possible is recycled or reused, and that any harmful materials are properly handled.
Recycling isn’t the only way to reduce landfill waste. Composting has been rapidly growing in popularity. Anything biodegradable can be composted to not only keep it out of the landfill, but to produce useful products. The compost is used in fields and gardens to provide a rich soil for growing new plants. Waste must be carefully sorted to ensure that the compost remains free of foreign debris and hazardous materials.
Appliances like refrigerators are some of the most common items handled by junk removal companies. It’s important to make sure that the company is a certified and eco-friendly junk removal service. These companies know how to properly handle appliances, which often contain various components and hazardous materials. Many junk removal companies in Toronto can properly dispose of items and appliances, as they cautiously separate all items they process.
Another large effort on the hazardous material front is being put forward by retailers. Many different companies are beginning to handle the disposal of the hazardous materials they sell. Items like lightbulbs, batteries, and used oil can often be brought back to the store they were purchased from. The store then goes through the proper channels to ensure that these potentially dangerous items are properly disposed of.
Reduction and reduce are important parts of the effort to produce a more environmentally friendly city. The best way to keep things out of the landfill is to simply not throw the things out. Many items can be repurposed in some way. They can also be given away to others who might be in need of such items. Eventually these items will be fully used up and will actually have to be disposed. Environmentally conscious junk removal companies ensure that this step is well done.
Many such junk removal companies in Toronto increase their benefits to the community by partnering with local charities. Many items can be donated to these companies to produce a double benefit. These companies are committed to producing a net benefit for all parties involved. They benefit the environment and the community, all while rendering a valuable service to those with excessive clutter. This new trend in junk removal will surely benefit all the citizens of Toronto and other cities.
Core Mini Bins puts the customer first. If you have waste or junk you need removed from your premises, contact the GTA’s top eco-friendly junk removal service. We’re happy to help and you will be glad you called!

Tuesday 29 October 2019

What to Do When You Have Clothes to Recycle in Toronto – a Growing Waste Concern

Clothing waste. Of all Toronto’s waste, clothing and textiles make up about 5% of it every year. Millions of pounds of it are sent to landfills every year. In fact, on a per-capita basis, we send a surprisingly high amount of clothing that could otherwise find alternative use.

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What to Do When You Have Clothes to Recycle in Toronto – a Growing Waste Concern


Clothing consumption in Toronto
We buy 3 times the amount of clothes today as we did in the 1980s. We live in a strong consumer culture where consumption is king. In terms of waste, this isn’t a good thing as it means more clothing’s getting tossed out. Clothing’s become cheap, easy to buy, and so instead of sewing, repairing, or recycling our clothes in some way, it’s become so much simpler to toss it in a dumpster, waste bin, or to put it out at the road.
Reducing the clothes you buy and wear
There are many ways to cut down on clothing waste in Toronto, including to focus on reduction rather than recycling. If we choose to buy higher quality materials and clothes, they last longer. This saves you money and saves waste. No more of these cheap Walmart t-shirts. They don’t last! Another approach to take is to buy second-hand clothing from a Value Village or similar thrift store.
Repairing the clothes you want to throw out
Why do you want to throw out your clothing? Can it be repaired in some way? There are 1000s of YouTube tutorials and probably millions of blogs out there sharing insights on how to repair clothing, how to sew a button, how to fix a ripped seam, and more. DIY it up. If you’re talking a favourite dress, favourite coat, or your comfiest sweater, repairing it is worth the time, effort, or cost. On top of that, you’ll further reduce your clothing waste.
Reuse them by donating your clothes
Toronto has several non-profit organizations and second-hand clothing retailers willing to take clothing you want to throw away. When you are ready to move on from your clothing and you are absolutely sure you don’t want to keep it, try donating. Anything clean, dry, and packed should be accepted. If it’s mouldy, stained with paint, or oil-covered, unfortunately, these aren’t recyclable or reusable.
Don’t put clothing in the blue bin
Some Torontonians with the best of intentions think that putting clothing in their blue bin will get these materials or textiles recycled. It won’t. In fact, clothing is a main source of contamination within Toronto’s blue bin recycling system. The blue bin system is meant for recyclables only. Clothing doesn’t fit that description, although many of us may personally consider them recyclable. If you need to get clothing out of the house right away, go to a thrift store willing to accept it and offload there.
How much clothing do we throw away every year?
The average person in Toronto throws away 81 pounds of textiles and clothing every year. The majority of the clothing we throw away which ends up in our landfills is also reusable. Though clothing recycling in Toronto is not something often discussed – and rightfully so as there are pressing waste concerns with more urgency to be handled – it’s a growing issue. Clothing waste is something within our power to change today city-wide if we wanted to.

Sunday 27 October 2019

What Happens to Your Trash Once You Take It to the Road and It Gets Picked Up – see here!

Once you take your garbage to the curb, have you given any thought to what happens to it next? You may be surprised to know how extensive the processing of waste is, to attempt to increase waste diversion, recycle what can be recycled, and ensure only what’s appropriate or suitable is going into our landfills.
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What Happens to Your Trash Once You Take It to the Road and It Gets Picked Up – see here!


After the garbage truck picks up your trash
So the garbage man comes by and picks up your bins, dumping them into the back of a compactor truck. The waste is pressed down into tis most compact form. The dump and landfill sites one may expect a truck to lug the waste to are located far outside the city. Before anything arrives there, waste is brought to a processing facility. These waste management facilities are recognized as ‘transfer stations’. Compacted masses are dropped off by the truckload here.
What happens to waste at the transfer station?
After the waste is there, heavy equipment is used to transfer these heavy packs to 18-wheelers. These trucks then will carry the waste to their desired destination, which is usually to be either buried or burned. The transfer stations themselves are carefully located, to accommodate the ugly smells and noise that come from them. Because they are privately owned a lot of the time, companies who dump waste at the often pay a weight-based fee to do so.
The long journey of processing our recycling
When you are working with recycling materials, it’s a little more complex. Trucks come to the curbside to pick up and dump bins, transporting these recyclables to a facility. While general garbage holds no value and is more of a burden than anything, recyclables are a commodity which means there’s value to them. What you drop off at the end of your driveway for a waste collection service to pick up in Toronto, they can sell to the highest bidder.
Sorting through your recycling focuses on contamination
After your recycling has arrived at a station, it must be separated into paper, glass, plastics, and metals, and possibly more. If anything has been contaminated, it’s unusable. So let’s say you added a pizza box soaked with grease into your recycling. This contaminates anything it’s come into contact with and is removed. Subsequently, there are certain kinds of plastics which aren’t recyclable, different municipalities carry different rules about what is or isn’t recycling, and the sorting facilities themselves may have guidelines on what to collect. Needless to say, it can be complicated and what we think is going to be recycled isn’t always.
The facts
In Ontario, we divert approximately 47 percent of our waste from landfills. This is all based off Ontario’s bin program – green bins for organics, blue for recyclables, yard waste into big paper bags, and a general bin for non-recyclable waste. Among the top cities in waste diversion in Ontario, Toronto’s first with 52 percent, followed by London at 45 percent and Ottawa at 44 percent.
The hard truth about recycling in Ontario
Not all recyclables are recycled, even when they qualify under municipal guidelines. Any waste or recycling that isn’t able to turn a profit collected from your recycling is transported to an incinerator or dumping site. Like any other waste management, waste disposal, or recycling company, this is a business and when a sorting facility cannot turn a profit on selling a certain recyclable, it’s discarded as waste.
The future of recycling in Ontario looks bright but there still exists opportunities to improve. An education needs to take place within and outside the industry, ensuring our recycling power’s maximized and that we are continuing to move towards a more eco-friendly place.

Thursday 24 October 2019

A New Type of Bioplastic Made From Fish Waste Could One Day Replace Non-Biodegradables

It looks and feels like plastic. But it’s stronger. Completely biodegradable, you can throw it out alongside food scraps and don’t have to worry about it filling landfills or polluting the environment. The best part is that it’s all made from organic fish waste. What we’re talking about is a type of bioplastic.
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A New Type of Bioplastic Made From Fish Waste Could One Day Replace Non-Biodegradables


What are bioplastics?
Bioplastics take a renewable, biodegradable source material and turn it into something resembling plastic. Think of it as a sort of imitation plastic, just like imitation meat has become to the food industry. Through bioplastics, we pollute less and provide the world with eco-friendly recyclable plastic waste that doesn’t contribute to the increasing lack of landfill space we have.
Bioplastics made from fish waste
The bioplastic we are talking about here is made from organic fish waste – waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill. To a degree, this has resolved two problems. The second being the inefficient ways in which we deal with fish waste. The result of all this work done by a student at the University of Sussex in the UK is what she’s called MarinaTex. Able to break down in soil in 4-6 weeks, this is a groundbreaking discovery.
How are bioplastics made?
MarinaTex uses red algae to bind proteins extracted from fish skins and scales. This creates overlapping bonds in a flexible sheet material. As mentioned, it looks and feels exactly like plastic. Most people wouldn’t know the difference. Testing bioplastics for performance has also seen MarinaTex scoring higher above plastics in being stronger, safer, and more sustainable.
Half of our plastics are used in packaging
We use millions of tons of plastic every year, with roughly half of this being in packaging. As this waste is separated in our garbage bins, plastics are commonly put into the landfill – even biodegradable and compostable plastics.
The problem of fish waste no one talks about
Like other industries, fishing produces its fair amount of waste as well. Tons of fish waste are produced every year – things like blood, offal, crustacean, shellfish exoskeletons, and fish skin and scales. These are either incinerated or sent to the landfill. Did you know a single Atlantic cod contains enough organic waste to manufacture 1,400 MarinaTex bags – it’s true! Manufacturing doesn’t require much to produce a sizeable result.
Imaginative solution for the global waste problem
Within the waste and recycling industry, so many problems exist that are in need of fixing. It’s solutions like MarinaTex that have the potential to change how we think about waste, being environmentally sustainable, and achieving zero waste. Bioplastics like MarinaTex could potentially change the world.
Saying goodbye to the plastics of yesteryear
Plastic has always been a very diverse, all-around amazing material. That said, it just does not make any sense to use plastic – an incredibly highly durable material – for a day of use. It’s unsustainable. We fully encourage more waste management solutions, recycling initiatives, material redevelopment and reuse, and the incorporation of greener, more sustainable waste practices.
Core Mini Bins is a waste disposal, junk removal, bin rental, and garbage collection service in Toronto. Our focus remains eco-friendly waste disposal. Helping homeowners and businesses simplify their waste pick-up and collection, call Core Mini Bins for more information on what we can offer you.

Monday 21 October 2019

Toronto Demolition FAQ, Answering All Your Questions About How We Do It

Demolition in Toronto involves a complex set of tasks and planning, tackling a structure’s dismantlement. In demolition, there are site clearance processes, salvage and recycling processes, recovery standards, and environmental remediation to consider. Highly sophisticated, there’s a lot of questions that can come up about demolition. Here’s some of the most common question we receive about what is demolition and how it works.
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Toronto Demolition FAQ, Answering All Your Questions About How We Do It


What is deconstruction?
Deconstruction is an environmentally friendly but labour-intensive demolition technique that maximizes what can be done with the materials created. Deconstruction is to collect recyclable materials, without causing harm. It usually requires extensive hand demolition and sorting to prepare a structure for an eco-friendly demolition like this.
Are explosives used every time?
No, explosives are only used when deemed appropriate to help implode a structure. For these projects, explosives factor in as a very minor part of the total demolition. To use explosives, a Toronto demolition expert must have in-depth knowledge of the nature of structure, site preparation, and clearance work.
Is demolition regulated?
Yes, demolition is one of the most heavily regulated construction industry sectors in Canada. Because they most commonly work with structures damaged by fire, weather, or a structural deficiency, demolition usually requires review and approval from local authorities. A contractor must also possess the knowledge to handle hazardous or toxic materials, and be aware of all relevant health and safety expectations.
What is involved in an interior demolition?
An interior demolition does not touch the overall structure of a building but simply tackles the demolishing of spatial elements. When a space is being prepared for an upgrade or re-use, demolition contractors are brought in to clear out a room. This can involve demolishing interior walls and ceilings, flooring, utility services, and selective structural elements.
How are a deconstruction and demolition different?
A demolition and deconstruction produce roughly the same recycling rate on average which equates to 90%. The difference is that deconstruction takes more time and is a more detailed process in terms of separating and procuring these materials. More equipment, technology, contractors, and time are oftentimes required for an effective deconstruction.
Can every demolition contractor help historic conservation?
The most experienced and knowledgeable of demolition services in Toronto can provide assistance in cases of historic preservation. Due to the GTA having many historic structures, it shouldn’t be trouble finding a contractor to help. That said, you always want to partner with a demolition team that you know can retain the integrity of a historic structure and that you are confident they understand how to save the elements that need to be saved.
What commodities do you have in a demolition?
A lot of the materials generated in demolition has a market value which indicates they aren’t waste. The following demolition materials can be recycled, salvaged, or reused – concrete and aggregate materials, metals such as steel or copper, insulating materials, ceiling tiles, flooring and carpets, wiring and conduits, plasterboard, wood, soils, roofing materials, and carpet.
Demolition involves many moving pieces. No two jobs are alike. In Toronto, contractors may encounter many unique requests as to how to demolish a property and what’s required. The demolition company you hire will determine a lot about the success of your project. Choose wisely. Choose Core Mini Bins for a team you can trust to the highest degree.

Friday 18 October 2019

How Much Does Renting a Dumpster Cost and What Size Do I Need – read here!

When you rent a dumpster in Toronto, you may find several companies willing to rent to you at different price points. The quality of the dumpster, quality of the service, size of the bin, and a variety of elements factor into what you’re going to pay. Here’s a quick breakdown around influential factors on renting a dumpster.

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How Much Does Renting a Dumpster Cost and What Size Do I Need – read here!


Why to rent a dumpster
There are many reasons to rent a dumpster, including if you’re doing a home clean, a renovation or remodelling, doing a construction, or performing some sort of storm damage recovery. When you rent a dumpster in Toronto, it’s an easy way to dispose of debris and waste. The company takes care of drop-off and pick-up, and the only expense on you is cost.
Flat rates v. variable rates
Like in many other industries, there are flat rates and variable rates. Flat rates help you to find out what the final cost may be. Variable rates are somewhat less predictable however if you’re uncertain about how much of a bin you may be using or if you’ve chosen the right size, some dumpster mini bin rental companies offering a variable rate may prove to be more advantageous.
What rental period you need
A huge factor on cost is how long you will need the bin for. There are per-day rates, just like there are per-week and per-month. Prices for a small dumpster for a one-day rental can be $25/day although this is extremely low. For a larger dumpster, it can be $300/day.
Prices per week can be up to $620 weekly while when discussing monthly rates, you may be looking at $2,000 for a large dumpster. That said, you want to consult with a dumpster rental service.
What size bin you need
Order a mini bin rental too small and you’re likely to overfill it or have to order a second. Order larger than what you actually need and you may end up paying for dumpster space you don’t need. Dumpsters and mini bins are most commonly rented for events such as junk removal, furniture, landscaping debris, and renovations or constructions.
A bin 4-8 years in size or up to 10 yards is perfect for small home cleanouts of 5,000 lbs. or less. A bin that’s 15 yards in size is for medium home cleanouts weighing 7,000 lbs. or less. Then, a bin 20 yards in size is for large cleanouts of 20,000 lbs. or less. There are also 30 yard bins and 40 yard bins usually used for commercial cleanouts up to 20,000 lbs.
Additional influences on cost
There are other factors which could increase cost such as extra days on a rental, exceeding restrictions on weight, the inclusion of hazardous materials, landfill fees, if you require a permit for dumpster placement on a street, and/or if you’re in a remote delivery location.
For many in Toronto, they will find the cost of renting a dumpster to be lower than they expect. That said, additional fees can add up quickly so if you don’t know which size or bin is best, speak with a representative and get their input.
Are you looking for a dumpster or mini bin rental in Toronto? Speak with an expert at Core Mini Bins today. Find affordable rates and the right size for you.

Wednesday 16 October 2019

How Anyone Can Compost in Toronto – Saving Landfill Space and Reducing Waste

Food waste isn’t waste at all. In fact, it’s all organic. Any sort of food scraps or organic related waste can be separated and recycled either in a composting facility or in someone’s own compost bin.
In Toronto, as of 2015, organic waste made up 40% of the garbage sent to our Ontario landfills. When there, they create greenhouse gas. Unfortunately, organic food scraps like this can’t be thrown in with recycling because they will contaminate otherwise recyclable materials. So they are a bit of a different sort of recyclable.

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How Anyone Can Compost in Toronto – Saving Landfill Space and Reducing Waste


In Toronto, you can compost easy. As long as you have a dedicated composting station and space – which admittedly not all Torontonians have – anyone any compost. Before we get into how to compost in Toronto, it’s important to remember what’s compostable. Almost any biodegradable materials can be composed. A quick short list of what materials you can include in your compost bin includes dairy products, egg shells, fruits and vegetable scraps, meats or bones, noodles, rice, grains, bread, empty cereal boxes, paper bags, parchment paper, cardboard, pizza boxes, newspaper, used paper dishes as long as they don’t have plastic coatings, leaves, grass clippings, flowers, and plants.
There’s a lot of opportunity to compost in Toronto, thankfully. If you live in a new condo development or some sort of multi-unit residential building, many have organic waste programs. They can collect your organic waste and take it somewhere else to be composed. If you have some backyard space or front yard space to work with, you also may choose to create a composting bin. If you don’t have any space to make a composting station with, fortunately, Toronto’s green bin program will collect organic waste and ship it off somewhere to be appropriately processed.
Any property that’s capable should have some sort of compost program in place. Composting saves landfill space and will help to provide us with a greener future. There’s no reason not to consider starting your own, if you have the means to do so. If you have a garden or kids, it’s an opportunity to learn more about the environment and get some value from. The result, after all, with composting is nutrient-rich soil which can be used to nourish flower and veggies. So there’s certainly a lot of reasons to get on board with composting.
If you want to have your own composting bin, you can either purchase one from a store or work to create your own. Some people build them from recycled plywood. If you have old plastic storage bins, this is another thing to use. If you’re new to composting and want to use your compost in a garden or similar environment, patience is important. Composting doesn’t occur overnight. It can take up to 3 months for everything to break down into a nutrient-rich soil. There’s no real way to accelerate this degradation process. That said, time will work some magic if you allow it to.
Core Mini Bins is a waste management and garbage pick-up company with a focus on eco-friendly practices in waste disposal. Ontario throws out 4 million tonnes of organic waste every year. Only 25% of this ends up in an organic waste green bin. If your bin is full or composting’s a possibility, do it up and help minimize the waste that our province contributes to landfills.

Tuesday 15 October 2019

How to Recycle Home Appliances and Kitchen Appliances in Toronto or the GTA

Recycling appliances from our home and kitchen in Toronto is easy, if you know where to look. More options exist today than ever before to keep unwanted or broken appliances from an Ontario landfill. Numerous programs exist, providing residents at least a few different options on where to take appliances large and small to have them recycled.

How to Recycle Home Appliances and Kitchen Appliances in Toronto or the GTA





What are considered small appliances?
Small appliances, according to recycling definitions in Toronto, include food processors, electric blenders, toasters, slow cookers, rice cookers, mini-ovens, coffee makers, and small fridges. Evidently, small appliances are a lot easier to move and transport. If your appliance still works, some may choose to sell it on Kijiji, Craigslist, or through classifieds on Facebook. There’s also means of donating these to a local charity such as the Salvation Army.
What are considered large appliances?
Large appliances are obviously a little harder to handle and disposing of them can be tough to recycle or dispose of. Large appliances include water tanks, heaters, laundry machines, barbecues or grills, fridges, computer towers, detached fireplaces, microwaves, dishwashers, ovens, and air conditioners. There are some appliance refurbishing retailers who may accept large home appliances for recycling. Anything that still works and which has been gently used oftentimes can be donated to the Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity. A donation to an organization like these will get the appliance off your hands while raising money for a good cause.
Depots
If you can afford to physically move your small or large appliance, you may be able to recycle them at pre-established depots. For example, there are several electronics recycling depots which may accept some appliances depending on how well they suit the definition of ‘electronics’.
Junk removal
Another option – and likely the preferred one if you can’t afford to physically transport the appliance – is to hire a junk removal service in Toronto. All it takes is a phone call. A lot of companies offering junk removal, including Core Mini Bins, provides same day service which means they can drop in today and pick up anything you need moved. Oftentimes, these companies may connect with a local charity organization or recycling facility to attempt to divert as much waste as possible from the landfill. If it can be recycled, ask the junk pick-up company you’ve hired what they intend to do with it. Ultimately, this is a win-win. They haul it away and count on it going to a good place.
Does the City offer any appliance removal in Toronto?
Any item that does not fit into the garbage bin is considered ‘oversized’ by Toronto waste management standards. Some items can be dropped off curbside and the City will pick up appliances that suit their definition. Unfortunately, not all appliances are accepted. If it’s 8 feet wide or in length, for example, it needs to be cut in half. If it’s too heavy, it might not be picked up. Hot water heaters and furnaces are usually too large. If it’s a fridge, freezer, oven, or dishwasher, they can be picked up however the doors and lids will need to be removed.
If you don’t want the hassle on where to take your appliance for recycling in Toronto, contact Core Mini Bins. We offer junk removal services same-day that are easy to arrange. We’ll move oversized items and appliances, recycling what we can and ensuring responsible, eco-friendly disposal is prioritized.

Sunday 13 October 2019

A Step by Step Guide to Winterizing Your Yard and Garden, Before October Ends

Is this your first winter as a new homeowner in Toronto? It’s time to winterize your yard. Come October, the weather’s going to start taking a turn from warmth to something a little colder. Toronto’s first snowfall can come quick and freezing temperatures will mean your yard’s more difficult to work with. Before encountering these issues, here’s a way to get your yard ready for winter.

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A Step by Step Guide to Winterizing Your Yard and Garden, Before October Ends


Hoses
Before you get going on the more time-consuming winter readying tasks, disconnect hoses from exterior taps. Ensure all water drains and then, coil your hose prior to storing it. Water left inside a hose can freeze and damage it. Alternatively, leaving it outside is just asking for damage. Any item connected to the hose – such as a water timer – should also be disconnected.
Garden cleaning
Take a good look at your garden. How to prepare a garden for winter is relatively simple. All a gardener has to do is clean up any dead plants, pull out bulbs or anything you want to keep for next year, and create the sort of empty, clear garden you want for the spring. It goes without saying but yards and gardens can look like a mess when the snow starts to melt, if a homeowner hasn’t properly cleaned up.
Clean gutters
Gutters should be cleaned before every winter. As the leaves come down in fall and with the summer rains, and everything else that comes with gutters, things accumulate. Before the snow and ice begins packing your gutters, cleaning them out ensures an easy way for winter melts to drain away.
Putting summer away
Take a look around the yard and see what needs to be removed. Furniture, fabric cushions, any toys or games, BBQs, gardening tools or accessories, and more usually find their way on this list. Every home’s a little different but you don’t want to leave anything outside come winter that could end up faded or damaged in some way.
Cover patio furniture
If there’s patio furniture that you intend to leave outside, be sure to cover it with large plastic garbage bags or something similar. You may also wish to do the same with your air conditioner. Though you’re probably ok, some air conditioners can experience damage from leaves and harsher climates.
Rake it
When you’re tidying up your garden and lawn, raking up everything can help to clean your property before the freeze sets in. Raking up fall leaves and dead vegetation can avoid destroying grass. Bonus – you can shred the leaves with a lawn mower and reuse them as mulch in your garden beds!
Winter tools
Come winter, you don’t want to be digging around for snow shovels to clear out the driveway. Instead, take the time before winter’s set in. Set up winter tools where you prefer them to be, like any ice scrapers, shovels, snow blowers, salt, etc. You may also wish to ready for any power outages by stocking up on storm supplies.
One by one, step by step. When you winterize your yard, you keep your property ready for anything. It takes time but it's worth it. Come spring, you’ll be ready to start re-building your yard and garden for how you want it to look. For high quality garden soil any time of year, contact Core Mini Bins. We deliver anywhere in Toronto.

Thursday 10 October 2019

6 Soil Types and the Different Plants Perfect for Each

There are a multitude of different soil types, each with a different purpose to a garden and customized to boast the growth of specific groups of vegetation. If you’re growing a garden, it becomes important to know which soil’s best for what you expect to grow. Here’s the most common soil types and the plants associated to each.

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6 Soil Types and the Different Plants Perfect for Each


Chalky soil
Chalky soil is larger grained and stonier. This effect makes drainage very easily done, compared to some of the other soil types in Canada. Chalky soil is alkaline which means fertilizers and balancing the pH is needed to prevent stunted plant growth. Some gardeners even will use a hummus to help improve water retention and soil workability.
Silty soil
Silty soil is an easy soil to cultivate in, holds moisture well, and is packed with a lot of nutrients. Its’ biggest drawback is that organic matter and compost are usually needed to help improve its weak points, such as drainage, soil structure, and holding nutrients long-term. Silty soil is recommended for shrubs, grasses, and perennials.
Sandy soil
Sandy soil is gritty, drains easy, and is an easy soil to cultivate plants in. Sandy soil warms quickly however holds less nutrients than some other soils available for purchase. This is only because rainfall washes away nutrients with relative ease. For this reason, sandy soil will require organic additions and ongoing maintenance through fertilizer. Some mulching can also help it retain moisture.
Peaty soil
Peaty soil appears darker in color, usually feeling damp and spongy to the touch. A peat-based soil will retain a lot of water, to such a point that it will become a problem. You may have to dig drainage channels for peaty soil, to help get some of that water running through and out. This soil’s acidity can be minimized with rich organic matter and compost. For healthy plant growth, peaty soil’s a very diverse choice.
Loamy soil
Loamy soil is a soil mix, oftentimes made from sand, silt, and clay. If you’re searching for bulk soil delivery in Toronto, you may want to consider a loamy clay as this is the optimum soil for lawns, shrubs, and general gardening. It has a fine structure, average drainage, retains moisture well, nutrient-dense, and more. Despite its many benefits, like a lot of other soil types, it requires a replenishment with organic matter semi-regularly.
Clay soil
Clay soil’s two primary characteristics are a lack of drainage which means more moisture’s retained and a lack of air space. When you pick up clay soil, you’ll probably notice its lumps and stickiness. Some gardeners will enhance clay soil drainage through various means, allowing growth to develop. Clay soil is a heavy one and will warm up slowly in the spring. It’s a nice selection for things like fruit trees, perennials, shrubs, and a short selection of crops.
Core Mini Bins, all summer long, has been providing bulk soil delivery to properties across the City of Toronto, Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. If you need soil in the GTA this fall, don’t hesitate to contact us. We provide delivery right to your front door, helping you get done your gardening, landscaping, and any sort of land forming you want. Healthy, nutrient-dense soil’s ready to be moved. Don’t miss out! While the weather’s still warm, get your property looking good!

Tuesday 8 October 2019

What Are the 5 Most Difficult Materials to Recycle in Toronto – See the List

When it’s filling up a recycling box and leaving it at the side of the road, recycling’s so easy. Unfortunately, not everything recyclable fits neatly into a box and some normally recyclable materials may not even be accepted in a city’s recycling program. Suddenly, recycling gets overly complex and confusing, especially if you’ve recently moved to Toronto.
What-Are-the-5-Most-Difficult-Materials-to-Recycle-in-Toronto--See-the-List

What Are the 5 Most Difficult Materials to Recycle in Toronto – See the List


There’s a short list of recyclable items that aren’t the easiest to recycle in Toronto, due to size
constraints, difficulty in arranging pick-up, or a lack of recycling facilities to begin with. For each, we’ve highlighted a solution to making the most of having these waste materials. Just because you have one of these, don’t be discouraged. There’s almost always a way to recycle!
Paint
Paint is not a waste product you can leave at the road. If you have old paint in the garage, look for depots or recycling facilities in Toronto that process hazardous materials. There are several locations across the GTA ready to accept such materials.
Mattresses
One of the worst things we see at the end of the road are mattresses. They’re difficult to recycle due to their many components and the likelihood that they could have bed bugs. Especially in Toronto, mattress recycling isn’t really a thing. That said, if you are sure yours is clean, post an ad on Craigslist, Kijiji, Facebook Classifieds, or somewhere else. See if you can give it to someone in need. We can almost guarantee that in a city like Toronto, with over 100,000 people moving all over any given season, someone will take your mattress.
Oil & antifreeze
If you have old oil and antifreeze, return them to any of the depots in Toronto. They are also accepted by some retailers such as participating Canadian Tire stores. As with other recycling materials like this, ensure the oil or antifreeze is in a firmly closed container.
Tires
Old tires can be tough to get rid of. Some you may be able to sell on classified ads if they’re reusable. If they’re not, there are several stakeholders in the GTA willing to accept it. Some corporate retailers will even take them off your hands. You may research retailers close to you to see which one accepts tires. Though it may take some time to find the information, for tires, fortunately you can still recycle in Toronto.
Pesticides or flammables
Leftover pesticides or flammables are incredibly difficult to get rid of. If you have some left in a shed or garage, there are collection sites in the GTA to drop off these items. These are the same locations you would bring your paint. Thankfully, there is no charge for dropping off pesticides or flammables and you can guarantee they will be properly handled, prior to disposal.
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These may be the most difficult materials to recycle in Toronto but where there’s a will, there’s a way. We hope to see things change in the future but for now, it’s up to the consumer to search out recycling depots and waste management facilities for pick-up of otherwise unrecyclable materials. Toronto’s fortunate to have a growing network of waste management stakeholders, recyclers, and more facilities being built by the year. For our environment as well as safety of human health, it’s well worth taking the time to find out where to recycle a given material or item.

Wednesday 2 October 2019

Solving the Problem of Renovation Waste with a Bin Rental or Dumpster Rental

To successfully complete a demolition in Toronto, a lot of time and care is given to how to orchestrate a project. There’s a lot that we rely on our demolition contractors for. A construction company ideally wants their demolition contractors to have integrity, to be conscientious regarding employee safety, and to be committed to environmental safety.
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Tips, Tricks, and Advice from a Toronto Demolition Company that’s Fast and Efficient!


This isn’t just it when it comes to demolition services in Toronto. As a company who’s worked on hundreds of projects – residential, commercial, and industrial – you pick up on tips and tricks. If you’re considering on hiring a demolition contractor for your new construction, renovation, or refurbishment, here are some tips you can use to ensure you’re picking the right company.
Safety’s top priority
When safety’s not followed for both employees and on the job site, this opens you up to injury, possible death, material loss, and building damage. A demolition company who shows they’re committed to safety on the site wins high marks!
Environmental safety
In a demolition, there are oftentimes materials which can be reused and recycled. Then, there are hazardous materials such as asbestos which needs to be carefully removed. There’s an environmental responsibility in demolition which should be maintained, diverting waste from landfills and reusing what can be reused.
Green demolition
Every decade, thankfully, demolition has gotten greener and greener. New, innovative techniques in demolition have meant building materials can be carefully removed at no extra cost or inconvenience. For construction companies, a skilled demolition contractor may be able to offer recommendations on building methods, material removal, and material selection.
Limited chemical exposure
If you work in any category of construction, you know there are dangers with handling asbestos, lead, and other hazardous materials. If you’ve been hired to participate in retrofitting an older property, you want a demolition expert experienced with handling these items and how to minimize the risks of chemical exposure.
Irritation from synthetic mineral fibers (SMF)
Synthetic mineral fibers (SMF) come from ceramic, fiberglass, and rock wool, and are common in sound and thermal production products. They can easily irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, with some evidence even going so far as to connect SMFs to lung cancer. For this reason, any demolition workers usually wear respiratory protection and other forms of protective clothing. Taking down a building, you never know what you’re kicking up into the ear and the effect it could have.
Formaldehyde-contaminated wood dust
Wood dust gets stuck in the nasal passages when inhaled. In some woodworkers, some studies have hypothesized formaldehyde-containing wood dust is linked to nasal cancer. This sort of formaldehyde is usually contained in wood paneling and particleboards. Any time this wood is cut, manipulated in any way, or broken, dust is sent into the air. For this reason as well, you’ll see contractors wearing protective respiratory gear as a means of fending off any risks associated with this dust.
For residential, commercial, or industrial demolitions in Toronto or the GTA, safety from all perspectives should be prioritized. Cutting corners is not tolerated in this industry. Expert, experienced demolition contractors should always be used, knowledgeable in what’s required to protect themselves, their co-workers, and anyone on-site. From our professional demolition company to you, this is advice which is worth following, and which can save you time, money, and hazard.

Tuesday 1 October 2019

Where Does Wood Go? Find Out What Happens to Toronto’s Urban Wood Waste

Toronto loses about 100,000 trees every year due to old age, diseases, and worms. These trees, when removed, are usually discarded as waste. That’s really unfortunate, considering all the beauty lying beneath the bark.
The beautiful lumber from city-owned fallen trees can easily be recycled and/or repurposed in the form of furniture and in green building designs. As an urban resource, we ask, where does Toronto’s wood waste go?
Where-Does-Wood-Go-Find-Out-What-Happens-to-Torontos-Urban-Wood-Waste

Where Does Wood Go? Find Out What Happens to Toronto’s Urban Wood Waste




Toronto has a total of about 4.1 million trees in the city and another 6.1 million trees in the community. Diseases and pests that usually kill these trees are things like Dutch elm disease, the Asian long horn beetle, the gypsy moth, and the Emerald Ash Borer. By next year, it’s expected the Emerald Ash Borer alone will be responsible for killing most of Toronto’s Ash trees.
Of the trees that fall, some are removed while the vast majority are left in place. Removal largely comes down to cost. We don’t have enough resources to remove all the trees which come down. City of Toronto estimated costs of removing a tree is approximately $875/tree. When one calculates the costs paid by the city in addition to that paid by private property owners and the Toronto District School Board, an estimated cost of tree removal yearly is about $478 million. Unfortunately, if one dumps this wood into a landfill, they get nothing for it hence the need for recycling wood waste.
So how does recycling wood work exactly? Well, Toronto’s no more unique in its urban wood recycling than Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, or Vancouver. Ultimately, wood is recycled into 3 categories. Bio-mass energy or wood chips processed and sold have an estimated value of $26 for recycling facilities. Selling wood waste as a saw log or construction grade can have a value between $42 and $84. Lastly, if one uses wood as an energy source, the estimated value comes around $72. Depending on what category one chooses, wood could end up being filtered into firewood, mulch, wholesale construction lumber, retail construction lumber, or furniture.
Now, what happens if you have a minor or major amount of wood and you want it to go to initiatives like these? Well, Toronto makes use of its wood trees as much as it can but Toronto recycling and waste management actually don’t collect wood. Therefore, to get rid of wood, you’ll need to call a waste management company or a bin rental company i.e. someone with resources to collect and move it.
There are significant regulations in place in Toronto to manage wood waste collection. For example, you can put out wood at the curb and it probably won’t get picked up for months. Christmas trees are picked up only on select days. Larger items like trunks, stumps, and large branches aren’t collected. There are weight and size dimensions to consider. At times in the last decade, due to infestations of pests like the Asian long-horned beetle, there have been additional regulations outlining when, how, and whether you have permission to remove wood from an infested area.
Toronto produces large amounts of wood waste every year. Even with the amount of recycling and repurposing being done, it’s not enough to keep up with production. We hope in the years to come, a more permanent solution is delivered handling urban wood waste in the GTA.