Ontario’s new “Do What You Can” program http://www.dowhatyoucan.ca/ will hopefully divert more than 32,000 tonnes of household and hazardous waste from Ontario’s landfills over the next five years. It is estimated that the cost of “Do What You Can” will be $28 million in the first year alone. However, you and I will not be paying for it. The manufacturers and/or distributors of the products that are being disposed of will bear the cost of the disposal program. They will pay their fees directly to Stewardship Ontario based on the amount and type of materials they sell in the province. The government will not lay out a penny nor will they make a penny. The first phase of the program deals with:

- Antifreeze (Containers Empty)
- Antifreeze Bulked
- Antifreeze, and the containers
- Fertilizers and their containers
- Lubricating oil containers of 30 litres or less
- Paints and Coatings, and their containers
- Pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and their containers
- Pressurized containers such as propane tanks and cylinders
- Single use dry cell batteries
- Solvent, and their containers
- Used Oil filters

Phase 2 of “Do What You Can” will include aerosol containers, fluorescent light bulbs and tubes, switches that contain mercury, thermostats, thermometers, and barometers. Phase 3 will include contact cement and corrosive cleaners such as ammonia, and pool and photo chemicals.

Home Depot stores will take back spent single-use batteries and old paint. Participating RONA stores will take back unwanted paint. Jiffy Lube and Pro Oil Change will take back used oil filters, empty automotive oil containers and antifreeze. Stewardship Ontario will then pick up the waste and determine what can be reused, recycled, or processed. The rest will be disposed of according to environmental disposal standards.

Use the “Do What You Can” website http://www.dowhatyoucan.ca/Default.aspx to find out where you can take your hazardous waste.