Where and When to Place Your Waste

Where:

The type of street you live on will determine where to place your garbage carts or bags, recycling blue bags and paper yard waste bags (seasonally).  

Waste bags and carts must not be placed on any part of the sidewalk as it obstructs people walking and wheeling on the sidewalk. 

In winter, improperly placed bags and carts may also obstruct snow clearing equipment. Do not place bags or carts behind or on top of a snowbank. 

Leave at least one metre (three feet) of clearance between your garbage cart and any other objects. This includes recycling blue bags and paper yard waste bags as well as other carts, parked cars, poles, trees, snowbanks and retaining walls. 

Residents must make sure garbage and recycling bags or carts are clearly visible and accessible.

When:

Waste is to be placed at the curb between 6 and 8 a.m. on your collection day only. 

The early morning time is specified in the Sanitation Regulations and primarily accommodates snow clearing equipment overnight when traffic is low and roads can be cleared most efficiently. Placing garbage bags and carts at the curb before 6 a.m. in winter forces the plow operator around it and results in having to return later to complete the job.

Carts put out before 6 a.m. in winter may also become covered in snow and/or damaged by snow clearing equipment, making collection impossible.

Throughout the year the City regularly receives complaints of garbage carts put out early, most often the night before, when neighbours are disturbed by garbage cart lids banging open and close, or rodents being attracted to it.