Bulky Items and Appliances

What is collected?

• Appliances, such as a stove, dryer, dishwasher: Remove doors or tape them shut.
• Artificial Christmas trees, and natural Christmas trees after our special Christmas Tree collection program is over.
• Carpet, scrap lumber: Remove tack strips/nails. Tie and bundle, no more than 90 centimetres (3 feet) in length and no heavier than 23 kilograms (50 pounds). Each bundle counts as one item.
• Furniture: Do not dismantle. Ensure all pieces (cushions, shelves, etc.) are secured.
• Mattresses 
• Water softeners: Empty the salt and drain the liquids.

Items which are not collectable include electronic waste, BBQ tanks, and other banned items, items that are too big/heavy (pool table, piano, cast iron bathtub, etc.), hazardous/sharp items such as wood with exposed nails, and items above the Bulky Item limit. Items set out with "free"  or "for sale" signs on them.

Check with the Waste Whiz to see if your item is collectable and how to prepare it for collection.

Collection schedule and rules

• Set out properly-prepared bulky items by 7 a.m. on your collection day every second week (the same week as garbage collection). The time that your items are collected will vary week to week depending on various factors, such as routing changes, road construction, and weather conditions. 
• Stay within the limit:
  • Single family homes and each legal duplex: Maximum three items per household per collection. 
  • Buildings with three to six units: Maximum 10 items per building per collection.
• Each bundle counts as one item.
• Use our Waste Whiz search tool for instructions on how to prepare your item. 
• Keep items visible and accessible for collection crews (not behind a snowbank, parked car, etc.).
• Do not pile garbage bags or other waste on top of bulky items.
• If you set out your item with a "free" or "for sale" sign on it, collection crews will not collect it.
• Holiday collection: Collection continues as usual on all holidays, except for Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Changes to collection will be posted on our website and in social media, and advertised in local media. 
• Garbage tags can't be used for bulky items.
• Collection crews sticker and leave behind unacceptable items.

Options for dealing with bulky items

• Look online to see if there are ways to reuse, repurpose, or "upcycle" your item. 
• If the item is still in good condition, consider donating it, selling it online, or hosting a garage sale.
• If you are having renovation work done (like new floors installed), ask the installer to take the waste with them.
• If you are replacing an appliance or piece of furniture, ask the company to remove and recycle the old one and any packaging.
• Contract a junk removal company or waste hauler to dispose.
• Bring to the Region's waste management site (restrictions, fees apply).

Tips and FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions)

• Do not dismantle furniture since you could go over the limit.
• Ensure your item is safe and secure to pick up. For example, fasten shelves in a bookcase if there is a chance they could fall out when the collectors lift it.
• Tape a sign, "Garbage", on an item that you think the collector may leave behind just in case it was at the curb by mistake (such as for tricycle, cracked garbage can, lawn mower).
• Do not share a stop with your neighbour.