Garbage removal in Toronto

What Toronto collects at the curb

A house on City collection puts its garbage in the bin on its collection day. Bins are priced by size, from the small 75 litre bin at $317.85 a year to the extra-large 360 litre bin at $607.86 a year. What fits in the bin with the lid closed is covered by that fee.

Extra garbage is allowed if it is bagged and tagged. A Garbage Tag costs $6.81 and goes on each extra bag, and a bag should not weigh more than 20 kg (44 lb). Tags are sold online and at Toronto Canadian Tire stores. Bags set out without a tag are not part of the service.

Bulky items are a separate service. The City picks up oversized and metal items set beside the garbage bin on garbage day, with 0.5 metres of space between items, and there is nothing to book. Every house and multi-residential unit pays an annual oversized and metal items fee, $23.23 for 2026, whether or not it uses the service.

• Accepted as oversized items: furniture, mattresses and box springs, bed frames, appliances, barbecues without the propane tank, bicycles, lamps, luggage, patio furniture and toilets.
• Remove the doors from refrigerators and ovens, take apart loose or heavy pieces, and tie down sofa bed frames.
• Carpet and underpad are rolled and tied in bundles no longer than four feet and no heavier than 20 kg.
• Set out by 7 a.m. on collection day, and no earlier than 8 p.m. the night before, for daytime collection.

What the City leaves behind

Most calls about garbage removal in Toronto are about the things the bin and the curb do not take. The City's oversized item page lists construction, demolition and renovation waste as not accepted: baseboards, bathtubs, cabinets, countertops, doors, drywall, fencing, insulation, lumber, plaster, roof shingles, siding and tiles. Household hazardous waste and tires are not collected either.

In a condo or apartment building, the City directs residents to the building's designated area for oversized items. Ask your property manager where that is and what the building allows.

The curb also depends on timing. If garbage day is a week away, or the pile is bigger than a few items, a paid pickup clears it in one visit.

Taking garbage to a City depot

Toronto runs several drop-off depots. Garbage and renovation waste is $189.86 per tonne, and the $19 minimum covers the first 100 kg. A deposit of at least $40 is taken before you unload. As an example from the City's fee page, 800 kg of garbage costs $151.88.

A safe motorized vehicle is required and the load has to be secured. Walk-ins, bicycles and hand carts are refused. Hours differ by depot, and several are open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. During the peak periods from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m., City vehicles get priority.

Concrete, brick, asphalt, soil, sand and gravel are not accepted at any depot. If that is what is in the yard, ask us about heavy material, which is from $350 per cu yd, or read the concrete removal page. If you are weighing a depot run against a bin or a pickup, the dumpster rental versus junk removal guide walks through it.

Garbage removal prices in Toronto

We price by the load, not by the bag or the hour. A load is measured by the space it takes in the truck. One or two items is $119, a 1/4 load is $259, a 1/2 load is $389 and a full load of about 16 cu yd is $599. Prices are in CAD and before 13% HST.

Each tier includes a weight allowance, from 100 kg on the minimum to 1,000 kg on a full load. Extra weight is $200 per tonne from the scale ticket. If everything is already outside at ground level and ready to load, the load price is 10% off. Same-day service adds $50 when the day has room.

Bagged garbage, loose garbage and bulky items can go in the same load. The junk removal cost guide shows what each load size looks like.

How a garbage pickup works

A pickup is a phone call and a price, with no bin to rent and no tags to buy.

• Call and tell us what is going and where it is: curb, driveway, garage, basement or a unit upstairs.
• We give a price from the posted load prices. Stairs, a long carry or heavy material can change the load size, so mention them.
• We confirm the volume on site, and the posted price applies.
• We carry everything out, load the truck and haul it away. You do not need to lift or bag anything extra.

What we do not take

We do not take paint, propane, chemicals or asbestos-containing material. The City handles household hazardous waste for free. You can drop it off at a depot that accepts it, or book a Toxic Taxi pickup through 311 for loads between 10 and 50 litres or kilograms.

If you think a ceiling, floor tile or plaster in an older home contains asbestos, leave it alone and have it tested first. Testing is the owner's cost.