2026 Curbside Collection Changes

The Region of Waterloo provides curbside collection service to approximately 161,000 single-family homes, duplexes, and 3-to-6-unit buildings and 8,500 multi-family units and townhouse complexes that meet truck-access criteria. Most of the collection is done manually, by lifting waste materials and placing them into the collection trucks.

In March 2026 the way the Region of Waterloo collects waste will be changing by collecting garbage and organics in carts. Items such as bulky or large metal items, yard waste and Christmas trees will continue to be collected manually.

See the Frequently Asked Questions below for more information.

Frequently asked questions for Curbside Waste Collection Changes:

What are the challenges with our current manual waste collection program?
There are on-going and evolving changes to the waste industry with major challenges around staff recruitment and retention for manual waste collection. Specifically, challenges exist due to:
  • a limited labour pool as the work requires extensive physical labour;
  • working in adverse conditions due to nuisances, weather, type of work, and negative perceptions; and
  • health and safety risks with on-going lifting of heavy waste materials, and slips, trips and falls from exiting and entering a truck.

Based on industry research, it would be and was difficult to receive competitive bids from service providers to continue to provide manual waste collection for garbage and organics.
What are the benefits by converting to automated cart collection for garbage and organics?
  • Health and safety to reduce injuries for workers
  • Efficiencies for stop times curbside which introduces opportunities for efficiencies in route logistics
  • Mitigating safety risks by having the driver inside the vehicle, using 360-degree cameras to view the area outside of the truck
  • Reduce litter from windy days, and pests
  • Create consistency in containers and aesthetics curbside
  • Staff recruitment for contractors, while diversifying the workforce
What are the sizes/dimensions of the carts?
Below are the sizes and dimensions for the various carts available. The large size garbage cart is the default size but residents will have the option to choose the smaller size if they wish. There are no size options for the Organics cart or kitchen catcher. More details regarding cart choice will be shared in the future.

(D) = depth, (W) = width, (H) = height

outline image of large garbage cart

Garbage Large (Default)

Equal to approx. 3 bags of garbage

69 cm (D) x 68 cm (W) x 111 cm (H)

outline image of small garbage cart

Garbage Small (Option)

Equal to approx. 1 bag of garbage

62 cm (D) x 48 cm (W) x 96 cm (H)

outline image of organics cart

Organics Small (Default)

62 cm (D) x 48 cm (W) x 98 cm (H) 

outline image of organics kitchen catcher

Organics Kitchen Catcher (Default)

30 cm (D) x 22 cm (W) x 24 cm (H)
How will bulky items, yard waste and Christmas trees be collected? 
Items such as bulky or large metal items, yard waste and Christmas trees will continue to be collected manually due to the variable quantity of waste and size limit of a cart for large items.
Why is the Region looking to change the collection schedule from five days to four days? 
Changing waste collection from five days (Monday to Friday) to four days (Tuesday to Friday) will:
  • reduce collection on statutory holidays which typically are on Mondays
  • build in a back-up day for collections in case of inclement weather or unplanned interruptions
  • allow for re-balancing of routes, to create efficiencies and optimization to accommodate growth in new neighbourhoods and distance travelled to unload at the Waterloo and Cambridge Waste Management sites; and
  • support staff recruitment and retention for the contractor by offering a four day work week and most statutory holidays off.
Why is the Region looking to use alternative fuels to power the fleet?
Alternative fuel sources such as compressed natural gas or renewable natural gas will be recommended:
  • due to the unpredictable fuel costs of diesel; and
  • to align with the Region of Waterloo’s Strategic Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the introduction of an alternative fuel powered fleet.
Who will receive waste collection services?
Service levels will remain the same for single-family homes, duplexes, 3-to-6-unit buildings, and multi-family units and townhouses that meet truck-access criteria.

Staff have examined the level of service for curbside waste collection for Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) properties that currently receive curbside collection. At the August 28, 2024, Sustainability, Infrastructure and Development Committee the following was approved by Council:

  • Expansion of the tri-city designated downtown collection areas to include the full geographic extent of their respective existing Business Improvement Areas (BIAs)
  • Discontinue the provision of blue box recycling to non-eligible sources, as defined by the new Blue Box Regulation (O. Reg. 391/21), for those properties located outside of the designated downtowns and that were previously eligible for Region administered blue box collection service

For more information about the Downtown Waste Collection Changes, see the related Council Report. 
What other municipalities in Ontario use automated cart collection?
Many municipalities collect their waste with carts. Some examples are:

City of Guelph

City of Toronto

Peel Region

Simcoe County
Curbside Waste Collection Changes Related Council Reports
February 7, 2023 - Curbside Waste Collection Changes

May 7, 2024 - P2023-33 Automated Cart-Based, and Manual Waste Collection, and Supply, Initial Distribution and On-Going Maintenance of Carts Within the Region of Waterloo

August 28, 2024 - EES-WMS-24-003 Downtown Waste Services Review

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