The earliest you can place your items at the curb
You can start placing closed-lid bins at the curb at 10 pm the night before the collection. You can place bulky waste as of noon the day before.
The latest you can place your items at the curb
Place your items at the curb by 7 am.
The latest you can leave your bins at the curb
Return your bins to your garage by midnight on the day of the collection. You can leave them outside your home, but not more than three feet (1 metre) from the building.
Townhouses, apartments, condos, and institutions
For those townhouses that currently take part in curbside organic waste collection, they follow the same schedule as single family homes and duplexes. For all other multi-family complexes and institutions, garbage collection is on Mondays and Thursdays, recycling collection remains on Tuesdays and bulky waste collection is on Wednesdays.
How to get a blue bin or brown bin
You can request a blue bin/brown bin in person at the Public Works Department, 7001 Mackle Rd., or by calling 514-485-6868, weekdays between 8 am and 4 pm. For blue bins, single family home owners and duplex owners will be asked to pay a one-time fee of $50 to receive their blue bin. Duplex owners will be able to receive a second bin free of charge.
If your blue or brown bin is damaged, you can get a new one free of charge.
How to place your bins at the curb
Receptacles must be placed at the edge of your driveway, not on the street or sidewalk, with the wheels facing your home and the logo facing the street. All material must be placed inside the receptacle (not beside), and the lid must be properly closed. Keep your bin at least 1 metre away from other objects such as your car or retaining wall.
Maximum allowed
See Garbage, Bulky waste, Organic waste and Recycables to find out more about the maximum allowed.
If your waste was not collected
Mistakes happen, but before contacting Public Works, please make sure you followed the collection instructions. Did you place it at the curb after the truck passed by? Are all the bins on your street still full? Was the lid open (instead of closed)? Was there something in your bin that shouldn’t have been there? If all instructions were followed, report the situation to Public Works:
- Email: [email protected]
- Tel: 514 485-6868
Maximum allowed
For garbage, the maximum allowed at a time is one rolling bin, with a limit of 25 kg.
If I have excess garbage, can I leave it in bags next to the black bin?
No, you cannot place garbage bags on the side, as the City will not collect them. Estimates show that about 80 percent of household waste is either recyclable (blue bin) or compostable (brown bin). Only 20 percent is residual waste (black bin). Remember, if you need a larger blue bin or brown bin, the City will exchange it for free.
What goes in the black bin?
The black bin should be used only for waste that cannot be reused, recycled, or composted. In general, this is solid, non-hazardous waste that can’t be recycled or composted and is not accepted by organizations whose mission is to give a second life to certain objects.
What should I do with bulky waste?
Bulky waste should continue to placed at the curb on Fridays. See the list of accepted bulky waste items in the Bulky Waste section.
Where do I place my black bin for the collection?
On collection day, be sure to place your black bin at the curb, and at least 1 metre away from other bins, cars or other objects. Do not place your bin on the sidewalk or street. Make sure the wheels are facing towards the house. Make sure the lid is fully closed.
Recycling is a process of turning certain waste materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for conventional waste disposal.
Materials to be recycled are brought to a collection centre or picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials bound for manufacturing.
You can mix your recyclables together
You can mix your paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum together. No need to sort, but please clean all cans and containers before placing them in the bin. Also, take all papers and flyers out of plastic bags (e.g., Publisac).
Everything must go inside the blue bin
Only items placed inside the blue bin will be collected. In other words, items placed next to the blue bin (such as folded cardboard, moving boxes, etc.) will not be collected.
Surplus recycling
In the event that you have surplus recycling, contact Public Works or fill out the request form, Monday before noon to schedule an extra pickup.
Acceptable for recycling
Fiber
- Newspapers
- Flyers and magazines
- Paper (even with staples)
- Envelopes (even with windows)
- Cereal, frozen food, laundry detergent, shoe and other boxes
- Cardboard boxes (flattened and tied)
- Cardboard tubes and rolls
- File folders
- Paper bags
- Telephone books
- Books
Aseptic and gable top cartons
- Milk and milk substitutes
- Juices
- Soups
- Broths
- Wine
- Cream
- Egg substitutes
- Molasses
Metals
- Tin cans, covers and lids
- Hangers
- Aluminum cans
- Clean aluminum pie plates and foil
Glass
- Bottle and jars of all shapes and colours (no need to remove labels)
Rigid plastics
- Bottles from any sort of liquid, including shampoo and laundry detergent
- Yogurt, margarine, shortening and other similar containers, covers and lids
Soft plastics
- Grocery and other shopping bags
- Dry-cleaning bags
- Bread and pastry bags (grease-free)
- Clean food storage bags
- Plastic wrappers (from milk, paper towels, etc.)
Not acceptable for recycling
Fiber
- Soiled or greasy paper or cardboard
- Wax paper, stickers and wallpaper
- Photographic paper
- Foil gift wrap
- Padded envelopes
- Composite products (binders)
- Diapers
Metals
- Metal hardware, pipes, nails, screws
- Pots, pans, muffin tins
- Small household appliances
- Toys and tools made from mixed materials
- Scrap metal
Glass
- Drinking glasses
- Porcelain and ceramics, Pyrex and broken dishes
Rigid plastics
- All number 6 plastics (polystyrene/Styrofoam)
- Toothpaste tubes and pumps
- Rubber items (hoses and boots)
- Tires
Soft plastics
- Soiled plastic film
- Greasy or waxed wrappers
- Stretch wrap
- Pool covers and awnings
In the simplest terms, organic waste is household food waste and garden waste. Until now, we referred to that kind of thing as garbage. But like paper, plastic, glass and aluminum, we can recycle organic waste. Your orange peels, uneaten barbecue chicken, and leaf and grass waste are sent to a processing plant in Brownsburg-Chatham run by the company Mironor , where it is transformed into valuable, nutrient-rich compost for gardens.
Please note: Do not overfill your brown bin (organic waste). Bins over 25 kg cannot be collected as the lifting grip can break and the bin exceeds safety standards for employees.
Acceptable for organic waste
Household organic waste
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Pasta, bread and cereal
- Meat and fish products
- Dairy products and egg shells
- Coffee grounds, coffee filters and tea bags
- Cake, cookies and candy
- Soiled paper towels and tissues
- Soiled paper and cardboard food packaging (pizza boxes, popcorn bags, flour bags)
- Unsoiled kitty litter
Leaf and outdoor waste
- Household plants
- Grass clippings, weeds and other yard waste
- Dead and fallen leaves
- Flowers and potted plants (including the discarded earth)
- Bark, wood chips and sawdust
- Small branches less than 30 centimetres (12 inches) long in bundles of no more than 45 centimetres (18 inches) in diameter
Not acceptable for organic waste
- Plastic wrap and styrofoam trays
- Plastic bags (even if certified as compostable or biodegradable)
- Diapers and sanitary products
- Clothing and textiles
- Wood, ashes and cigarette butts
- Wax, wax paper and chewing gum
- Vacuum bags and their contents
- Hair, pet fur and feathers
- Cotton balls, makeup removal pads
- Dryer sheets and lint
- Pet waste
Frequently asked questions
Can I put yard waste into the brown bin?
Yes, you can place yard waste, such as grass clippings and weeds, directly into your brown bin or in paper or compostable bags beside the brown bin. If you have a gardener maintaining your lawns, we encourage you to speak with your gardener to ensure he uses your brown bin correctly.
Do I have to sort my garbage?
Yes. You will want to keep two bins in your kitchen—one for organic waste (like vegetable peels, leftover food and soiled napkins) and another for garbage (like Styrofoam cups and certain types of non-recyclable plastics). The city can provide a small kitchen collector that you can use for your organic waste, which you can keep under your sink, or on your counter.
We recommend that you do not use your garburator to dispose of food waste, as it ends up in landfills and can clog sewers. It is not an environmentally friendly way of disposing of organic waste.
How to I prevent leaks and odours?
Newspaper or brown paper bags are absorbent and help reduce odours. Whenever you have some food stuff that is particularly wet or smelly, wrap it in newspaper (before putting it in the paper bag) like your grandma used to do when she brought home fresh fish.
How do I prepare my brown bin for collection?
- Option #1: Line your kitchen collector with used newspaper or a paper bag and fill with organics. Wrap the newspaper into a secure bundle, or roll the paper bag closed, and transfer to your brown bin. Place your brown bin at the curb on collection day.
- Option #2: Line your brown bin with a larger paper bag or loose newspaper at the bottom. Fill your kitchen collector directly with organics. Transfer the loose organic material into your lined brown bin. Roll the paper bag closed. Place your brown bin at the curb on collection day.
Where can I buy paper bags?
Residents should only use paper bags or newspapers in their kitchen collector or brown bin. Bag to Earth paper bags are sold at Côte Saint-Luc City Hall (5801 Cavendish Blvd.) and Public Works (7001 Mackle Rd.).
How can I get a brown bin?
Contact Public Works (514-485-6868, [email protected]) to get a second brown bin or blue bin, if you need a different sized bin or if your bin in damaged. Replacement bins are free. Additional brown bins are free. Additional brown bins are free.
Keeping your brown bin clean
Warm weather tips
- Rinse the brown bin with your garden hose periodically to keep it clean, especially if you don’t line your bin with paper
- Capture fruit flies (more common during warm weather) with a bowl of vinegar covered with plastic wrap with several small holes in it. Empty as required
- Put salt or vinegar on maggots to kill them. If maggots appear in the brown bin, a fly has laid eggs on some exposed food waste
- Wrap wet food waste (e.g. meat, fish, fruit and vegetable waste) in old newspaper or used paper towel
- Use the special food waste bag or other paper (e.g. grocery, popcorn, sugar, flour or potato) bags to hold your material
- Put meat and fish waste into a paper bag and then in your freezer until collection day
- Alternate layers of food waste with layers of dry waste (e.g. leaves, dead plants, sawdust, wood shavings)
- Periodically rinse the brown bin using a mild detergent or white vinegar/water solution immediately after collection
- Sprinkle a small amount of powdered garden lime, baking soda or powered laundry detergent (no bleach) in the brown bin
Cold weather tips
- Spray your brown bin with cooking oil in the winter to minimize risk of items freezing to the bin and ensure easy removal of waste
- Put newspaper in the bottom of your brown bin to prevent contents from freezing
- Use popcorn, sugar, flour or potato paper bags to hold your material to prevent waste from freezing to bin
- Wrap wet food waste (e.g. meat, fish, fruit and vegetable waste) in old newspapers, used paper towels or cereal boxes
- Large paper bin liners may be purchased for your brown bin at local retailers
- Store your brown bin in an accessible location during the winter months where there is easy access to the curb
- Set out your brown bin the morning of collection day (before 7 am) rather than the night before
Place your items at the curb before 7am next to your black bin during household waste collection.
Maximum 3 items. We collect textile-covered furniture like mattresses, couches, and cushioned chairs.
You do not need to contact us in advance.
Place your items at the curb before 7am on Fridays.
Maximum 3 items. We collect tables, washing machines, cabinets, bedframes and wood planks (remove nails and residual metal, planks cannot exceed 1.2m).
You do not need to contact us in advance.
Acceptable for bulky waste
- Glass and windows 3 ft X 4 ft
- Railway ties No creosote
- Wood no longer than 1.2 m (4 ft) No nails
- Metal no longer than 1.2 m (4 ft)
- Gyprock no larger than 3 ft X 4 ft
- Cabinets
- Tubs
- Bookcases
- Desks
- Fences
- Chairs
- Filing cabinets
- Bedroom furniture
- Sink
- Mirrors
- Rigid plastics
- Doors
- Hot water tanks
- Tables
- Toilets
- Bicycles
Not acceptable for bulky waste
- Asphalt
- Roof tiles
- Concrete
- Rocks
- Earth
- Similar materials
- Tiles
- Tires
- Pool covers
- Tree trunks and stumps
- Fences
- Mattresses
- Couch / sofa
- Bulky chair
- Cushions
- Garbage bags
Some items cannot be placed in blue bins, brown bins, regular waste or bulky waste. This includes mostly large electric devices containing hydrocarbons and other chemicals like: refrigerators, air conditioners, water coolers, dehumidifiers, televisions.
For electric items too large to transport yourself, please call Public Works (514 485-6868). The City will pick up these items within 72 hours.
For items small enough to fit in your trunk, residents must bring them to the Public Works Yard, and drop it off at the e-waste bin. You can also drop it off at the Écocentre Côte-des-Neiges (6928 Côte-des-Neiges Rd.). Please call 514-872-0384 to inquire about opening hours.
The City will collect your small branches as part of the organic waste collection. However, we ask that you follow these rules to prepare the branches for a pick-up. The branches must be less than 122 centimetres (48 inches) long and less than 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter. They must be long tied in bundles or no more than 45 centimetres (18 inches) in diameter. Place the bundles alongside your brown bin.
If the branches are more than 122 centimetres (48 inches) long, the city will not pick them up.
The City collects Christmas trees placed at the curb on Wednesdays January 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2024. You must place the tree at the curb by 7 am. After January 31, you can bring your tree to the closest Ecocenter.
The trees will eventually be chipped. So, it is critical that you not tie the tree nor place it in a plastic bag or any type of covering. Also, please strip the tree of lights, cords, and decorations.