What to know
- The City of Toronto says all municipal election signs must be removed by Thursday, Oct. 29.
- Residents and candidates can recycle corrugated plastic, paperboard and plastic film signs at all seven City Drop-Off Depots.
- Surplus election signs will be accepted at select depot locations until Nov. 12.
- Signs must be separated by material, and staples must be removed to avoid disposal fees.
Toronto’s 2026 municipal election is over, but there’s still one task left for candidates and residents: removing the lawn signs scattered across the city.
The City of Toronto is reminding property owners, residents and candidates that all election signs must be removed by Thursday, Oct. 29.
Candidates are responsible for removing signs they placed on public property, according to the city.
To help people dispose of the signs, the city is accepting election signs for recycling at all seven City Drop-Off Depots. Wooden and metal stakes and supports are also accepted.
The city accepts three types of election signs for recycling:
- Corrugated plastic, such as Coroplast
- Fibre-based materials, such as paperboard
- Plastic film, including sleeve-style signs
Surplus election signs will also be accepted at select Drop-Off Depot locations until Nov. 12.
How to prepare election signs for disposal
Before dropping off election signs, the city is reminding residents and candidates to follow proper disposal guidelines.
Corrugated plastic signs should not be bundled together, and signs made from different materials should not be mixed.
Wooden stakes, metal supports and screws must be separated from the signs. The city says dedicated containers will be available for each material.
Plastic sleeve-style signs should be consolidated in a clear plastic bag and tied shut when full. All staples must be removed and disposed of in the garbage.
The city warns that staples can damage recycling equipment. Signs containing staples will be considered garbage and subject to disposal fees.
There is no fee to drop off clean, separated corrugated plastic, paperboard and plastic film election signs, along with their associated supports and stakes, for recycling.
However, mixed waste that includes election signs will result in a fee of $189.86 per metric tonne, plus a flat fee of $19 for the first 100 kilograms.
