Here’s how the City would like you to set out your Garbage Bin, Blue Bin, Green Bin and yard waste for collection:

Residential curbside collection

Green Bins are collected weekly. Garbage and recycling collection is every two weeks on alternate weeks as per your local single-family household collection calendar. Place your Garbage Bin containing garbage or Blue Bin holding items for recycling a half-metre (approximately 2 feet) away from your Green Bin or yard waste. There should be 3 metres (10 feet) of clearance above the bin for the mechanical lift arm used in automated collection. In the winter, place you’re your bin and items in a clearly visible, accessible area.

There is no item limit for recyclables or garbage. If you occasionally have over-flow with your recyclables, either leave it for next recycling collection or consider asking your neighbours if they have room in their Blue Bin. Using your Blue Bin, it is okay to mix paper recyclables with cans and bottles together in one bin as the recycling material is sorted at the processing facility.

If you have more garbage than will fit in your bin, you can leave extra garbage bags beside the Garbage Bin for collection. To expect collection of extra garbage bags, you must attach a City-issued bag tag to each garbage bag. Garbage bag tags can be purchased in packages of five for $15.50 ($3.10 each) at your local Canadian Tire store.

If you frequently have overflow of garbage, perhaps you need a larger size Garbage Bin. To arrange an exchange, call 311 - your annual fee will be adjusted accordingly.

Green Bin Program
Is your Green Bin filling up and overflowing each week? Put excess material in a see-through bag and place it beside the Green Bin (no special bag is required as long as it's see-through, but please use one large bag instead of many small ones). We recommend that you put non-food waste (e.g. diapers, animal waste) in this bag and place it out by 7 a.m. the morning of collection. There is no item limit for Green Bin organics, provided each item weighs no more than 20 kg (approximately 44 lbs.). Green bin collection is weekly.

If residents continually have Green Bin material over-flow, you can purchase a second Green Bin at 33 Home Hardware stores in the City of Toronto, Toronto Container Pick-up Locations or at a Community Environment Day.

Co-collection vehicles

Curbside Collection – Semi-automated vehicles
One of the collection crew brings the bin to the back of the vehicle and the arm lifts the bin to dump the materials. Green Bin material goes into a separate compartment.

Curbside Collection – Fully-automated vehicles
A mechanical arm grabs the bin and lifts it to the top of the vehicle to empty the material. Green Bin material goes into a separate compartment.

Yard waste collection

Yard waste must be set out at the curb in Kraft paper yard waste bags or rigid, open-topped containers (extra garbage can, bushel basket). No plastic bags and no grass clippings are allowed.

Secure brush and branches in bundles and set out at the curb on your yard waste collection day in accordance with your local collection calendar. Bundles must be no longer than 1.2 metres (4 ft.), no more than .9 metres (3 ft.) in diameter and weigh no more than 20 kg (approximately 44 lbs.). There is no item limit for yard waste.

Bulky items collection – e.g. furniture

Place bulky items (mattresses, box springs, furniture), out on your regular collection day. The crew lifts the item into the rear packer. The truck compacts the couch, leaving room for more material. In the near future, the City plans to offer collection of bulky items in a separate collection for either reuse, recycling or dissembling at no cost. Collecting such durable goods will keep these examples of bulky items out of the landfill and help us increase our diversion rate. .

Other bulky items
Roll, cut and tie carpeting into bundles and place them out on your regular garbage collection day. Bundles must be no longer than 1.2 metres (4 ft.), weigh not more than 20 kg (approximately 44 lbs.). Have more than 20 kg? (PDF).

Special collection - metal “white goods"

Collection of “white goods” (refrigerators, washing machines, stoves, dishwashers, etc.) must be scheduled by calling 311. This material is collected by designated City vehicles.

Snow banks - correct placement
Find a clearly visible and accessible area to put your bins out for collection. Put bins as close as possible to the street, without obstructing it. Do not place the bins behind or on snow banks. If you wish, you may clear an area for the bins to be set out.