Things that would never fit in your garbage bin, even when empty, are considered oversized. They can be left next to your garbage bin for pick-up, without requiring tags or special arrangements. Put oversized items 0.5 metres (2 feet) away from your garbage bin on your scheduled garbage day ensuring any loose, separate or moving pieces are secured for safe removal by collection crews. 

Waste Wizard - Know Before you Throw!

Unsure of how to dispose of an item, check the Waste Wizard to find out what waste items go where.  Complete the Feedback option for suggestions and items you wish were included on the Waste Wizard.

Oversized Items, examples:

  • bicycles, sofas, chairs, wooden furniture, beds, mattress, appliances (with doors removed); fridge, freezers, ovens, etc.

Annual Oversized & Metal Items Fee

This will appear on the Utility Bill regardless of whether an oversized or metal item is placed out for collection or not. The amount will be spread over the year, billed at pro-rated amounts based on the length of a given billing period. Please refer to the City of Toronto website for information of fees and programs. 

Single residential/building with less than 8 units/townhouse complex with individual curbside collection:

  • Curbside collection every 2 weeks
  • Items must be at the curb by 7:00 a.m.
  • Residential Above Commercial (RUAC) Night customers must place the oversized item at the curbside between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm
  • Laneway customers: oversized items are collected in the same area as garbage, recycling and organics
  • There is no limit to the amount of oversized items set out
  • Oversized collection is handled by separate collection crews that drive through each area on regular scheduled garbage collection days. The oversized item collection crews work independently from the garbage bin collection crews.
  • Criteria:
    • Anything 8 feet or longer (or wide) that can be cut in half for garbage should be reduced in size. Solid Waste Management regular split trucks will have no difficulty in loading these items. In some cases, as with SWM automated trucks, a separate truck will have to be dispatched to pick up oversized items. Note: Solid Waste Management operators must be able to safely move these items on to the lift, and into the truck
    • For furniture and large items with multiple components, moving/opening parts etc - please ensure they are broken down, taken apart, secured or tied together so they are manageable by the collection crew for safe removal
    • Glass Table/Top - intact: collected as an oversized item, should be placed in cardboard or thick paper and clearly marked as glass, set out on Garbage day, 0.5 metres away from other bins
    • Mirror/Broken Glass - for the safety of the collection crew, this item should be wrapped in thick paper or cardboard. Alternatively, the mirror/glass can be broken into smaller pieces, placed in a sealed cardboard box with the writing 'broken glass' on side/top, the box must fit inside the garbage bin.

Bed Bug Infested Mattress

Note: Solid Waste Management does not require that all furniture/mattresses be wrapped in plastic to be collected, but if collections staff see visible living bed bugs on furniture or mattresses, they will leave a notice asking that the item be sealed in plastic. Bed bug infested recyclables should be placed in black garbage bags and disposed of in the garbage bin.

For Public Health disposal instructions see: Bed Bug infested furniture - Public Health disposal instructions

Note: Solid Waste Management has different trucks used in the collection of oversized items.  Please be advised that if the crew picks up most of the items but some are left behind, this could be due to the truck not being able to handle/accommodate the item.  Another truck should be back to collect, if the item remains, please contact 311 after 5:00 pm to report the missed collection.

  • Open Packer - about 8' wide and big enough to load a couch in or a large cabinet
  • Split Packer - about a 3' opening for organics and another 5' is garbage packer
  • Side Load - trucks that garbage can fit into
  • Full automated trucks - cannot pick up any bulky furniture if it's not in the garbage bin
  • Open lift truck - which is for soft handling furniture, mattresses, metal, bulky items for Reuse Centres

COVID-19 - Reuse Centres of paint and other items for pickup are currently suspended
Residents can donate usable Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) materials to the Paint Reuse Depot, including oil and latex paint. Typically, half-full cans of oil and latex paint are set aside for residents to pick up - for free! Sometimes automotive products or cleaners that are in unopened containers are also available. Visit the City of Toronto Drop-off Depots for further details on locations and hours.

You can also take your leftover paint to your local Community Environment Day.

For more information please visit the City of Toronto website