Important Notice:
- Residents are responsible for unloading their own items. If assistance is needed, please bring an additional person.
- HHW Reuse Centres, where residents are able to take usable paint and some other HHW products set aside for reuse, have been discontinued, suspended and no longer active.
Description of Service/Summary:
The City of Toronto operates seven Transfer Stations with Drop-Off Depots to collect, sort, and transfer waste. These depots are also available for residents to dispose of unwanted items. Visit toronto.ca/drop-off-depots for details on accepted items, locations, hours, fees, regulations, and services for businesses.
Eligibility and Access Requirements:
- A deposit is required before disposal; payment accepted via cash, credit, or debit.
- Deposit amount depends on load size and material type (minimum $40).
- Only safe, motorized vehicles with secured loads are permitted.
- Walk-ins, bicycles, and manual transport devices are not allowed.
- Unsafe vehicles or unsecured loads will be refused.
- Avoid peak hours (11:00 am–1:00 pm and 3:00 pm–5:30 pm) to reduce wait times.
Fees and Payment:
- Disposal fees apply and are charged per service.
- Payments accepted: cash, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, debit.
- HST is exempt on invoices for waste dropped off.
- No renewal or 311 service request required.
Accepted and Restricted Materials:
Organics
Organics are not accepted from any customers other than City of Toronto collection vehicles (no commercial or residential loads are accepted). Organic material brought to a depot will be treated as garbage, and therefore, garbage fees will apply.
Cardboard
Disposal of cardboard/corrugated at a depot does not require tying or bundling, however, it should be broken down or flattened (boxes) to save room in the bin for others. Larger cardboard can be dropped off in the corrugated cardboard pile if necessary, ask the staff at the depot who will advise.
Mattresses
To promote diversion from landfill, effective immediately, dedicated mattress loads (1 or more mattresses) are only accepted at Dufferin and Commissioners transfer stations. Mattresses (dedicated or in a mixed load) should not be accepted at any other transfer station. Staff will direct residents with mixed loads that contain mattresses to take the mattresses to Dufferin or Commissioners to divert them for landfill.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) & Electronics
Residents dropping off HHW and electronics at a Depot do not need to go over the weigh scales, they are to follow the signs and go directly to the HHW Depot. HHW is only accepted from residential households. Computer /electronics are accepted from both residential households and commercial businesses (see: Computers and Electronics recycling - Commercial businesses). Drop off of HHW and electronic waste is free of charge.
Other Disposal Guidelines
- Branches and body wood (stumps, logs etc.) over 7.5 cm (3 in.) in diameter - this type of waste is not collected at the curbside nor is it accepted at any of the City of Toronto Drop-Off Depot. For stumps and branches of this size, please make arrangements with a private company specializing in handling this type of waste.
- Lumber/wood: in order to dispose of lumber/wood (including railway ties) at Drop-Off Depots, pieces cannot be greater than 1.2 metres (four feet) in length (lumber can be any width or height, i.e., 2X4's, 4X4's, 8X8's etc., provided the length is not greater than 1.2 metres). Garbage fees will apply.
- Christmas trees do not require cutting down to a smaller size for disposal at a Drop-Off Depot.
- Drywall (construction/demolition drywall, including painted, papered or vinyl covered - every effort should be made to remove nails, screws and metal corner beads) must be dropped off as recycling, not garbage. Not all locations accept recycling, and some only accept specific items (these are noted in the drop-off chart). Contact the transfer station prior to dropping off drywall. Recycling fees will apply.
- Commercial Customers may drop off garbage, recycling, and electronic without a Commercial Drop & Load account.
Additional Resources
For reuse, donation, or repair options, visit toronto.ca/reduce-reuse for locations to pick up or donate your unwanted items.
