Ottawa Trash Pickup Day, Garbage, Green Bin & Recycling Schedule 2026
This guide explains Ottawa collection the way a resident actually needs it: how to find your address calendar, what changed March 30, 2026, which week is garbage, which week is blue or black bin, what counts as a garbage item, when to use yellow bags, how bulky items count, and when to call 3-1-1.
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Trash garbage pickup day Ottawa is address-based. Use the official Ottawa Collection Calendar, enter your address, and save the calendar because collection days changed for many households starting March 30, 2026.
Garbage and bulky items continue every two weeks. Green bin and leaf/yard waste continue weekly. Recycling continues weekly, alternating between blue bin and black bin. Set material out after 6:00 PM the evening before collection and no later than 7:00 AM on collection day.
Ottawa Collection Calendar Lookup — Find Your Exact Garbage, Recycling and Green Bin Day
Do not rely on a general “Ottawa garbage day” answer. Ottawa is a large city with different collection areas, and the 2026 contract changed collection days for about half of households. Your safest first step is the official Collection Calendar.
Open the official Collection Calendar
Use your full Ottawa address. This is the correct source for garbage, blue bin, black bin, green bin, leaf/yard waste, and holiday delay alerts.
Check the week after March 30, 2026
If your address was affected by the new contract, the updated collection day appears on the week of March 30 and beyond.
Save separate reminders
Save garbage every two weeks. Save weekly reminders for green bin and recycling, but remember that recycling alternates between blue and black bins.
Use Waste Explorer before throwing out odd items
For mattresses, paint, batteries, electronics, broken glass, medical waste, and renovation leftovers, use Waste Explorer first instead of guessing.
Best Ottawa shortcut: Download the Ottawa Collection Calendar app or sign up for email / phone reminders so you receive schedule changes and delay alerts automatically.
Open Ottawa CalendarOttawa 2026 Curbside Collection Changes — What Started March 30, 2026
Starting March 30, 2026, Ottawa began a new curbside collection contract for garbage, green bin, leaf and yard waste. This is not a small wording change. It can affect the actual day your household is collected.
- Collection days may change for about half of Ottawa households.
- Garbage and bulky items continue every two weeks.
- Green bin food waste continues weekly.
- Leaf and yard waste continues weekly but must be set out separately from the green bin.
- Recycling continues weekly, alternating between blue and black bins under the provincial program.
- Between March 30 and April 24, 2026, some households may see two weeks of the same waste streams collected.
- To accommodate the disruption, all residents may place up to six garbage items at the curb on the scheduled garbage day during that transition period.
- There is no curbside collection on Good Friday, April 3, 2026.
- There is no curbside collection on Easter Monday, April 6, 2026.
- Pick-up is delayed one day for the remainder of the affected week.
Do not skip this check: If you saved your old Ottawa pickup day before March 30, 2026, verify it again. Many searchers will land on old schedules, old fridge calendars, or old screenshots that are no longer safe to follow.
Ottawa Three-Item Garbage Limit — Bags, 140 L Containers, Bulky Items and Yellow Bags
Ottawa’s curbside garbage limit is now three garbage items on garbage collection day. Recycling and green bins do not count toward the three garbage items, and there is no limit to the amount of properly set-out recycling or green bin material.
| Item Type | Counts as One Garbage Item? | Important Limit | Resident Mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garbage bag | Yes | Up to 140 L and less than 15 kg / 33 lb | Putting out more than three bags without yellow bags. |
| Garbage container | Yes | Up to 140 L, less than 15 kg / 33 lb, handle and detachable lid | Using oversized 220 L / 240 L rollout-style containers. |
| Bulky item | Yes | Counts toward the three-item limit | Thinking a couch or mattress is “extra” outside the limit. |
| Blue / black recycling | No | No curbside limit when properly sorted | Throwing recyclable material into garbage and wasting an item slot. |
| Green bin | No | No curbside limit when properly set out | Putting organics in garbage and losing landfill space. |
| City yellow bag | Extra garbage option | Pack of four listed at $17.60 / $4.40 per bag | Using ordinary yellow bags instead of City-branded yellow bags. |
Bulky-item reality: You cannot tape a yellow bag to furniture. Bulky items count toward the three-item garbage limit, and large bulky items cannot be placed inside yellow bags.
- Use the green bin weekly for food waste and soiled paper where accepted.
- Use black bin for paper/cardboard fibre items.
- Use blue bin for glass, metal and plastic container items accepted in Ottawa.
- Donate, repair, or reuse items before treating them as garbage.
- Use Waste Explorer for items that are not obvious.
- Excess waste not in a City-branded yellow bag will not be collected.
- Collection staff may leave a courtesy tag explaining the issue.
- You are responsible for removing uncollected waste from the curb.
- Repeated wrong set-out can create by-law problems.
- Trail Road or other approved disposal may be needed for excess material.
Ottawa Garbage Set-Out Rules — 6 PM Night Before, 7 AM Collection Day and Container Limits
Ottawa curbside waste should be set out any time after 6:00 PM the evening before collection and no later than 7:00 AM on collection day. Do not place garbage on the sidewalk, roadway, or on top of snowbanks.
- Set material out after 6:00 PM the evening before collection.
- Set material out before 7:00 AM on collection day.
- Place bags and cans close to the roadway but not on the road or sidewalk.
- Keep container lids securely closed when a lid is used.
- Keep garbage bags and containers under 15 kg / 33 lb.
- Bundle carpets under 1.2 m / 4 ft long and under 60 cm / 2 ft diameter.
- Do not use cardboard boxes as garbage containers.
- Do not use fixed-hinge-lid garbage containers.
- Do not secure lids with bungee cords or rope.
- Do not force operators to reach into a garbage can to retrieve bags.
- Do not put glass or sharp objects loose in plastic bags.
- Do not leave uncollected material at the curb after a courtesy tag.
Winter rule that saves headaches: Ottawa specifically says not to place bags or cans on top of snowbanks. If the snowbank blocks access, clear a level spot near the curb before collection morning.
Ottawa Recycling Pickup — Blue Bin and Black Bin Alternating Weeks
Ottawa recycling continues weekly, but it alternates between blue bin and black bin collection. The 2026 resident notice also points residents to Circular Materials for what is accepted under the provincial recycling program.
Use the blue bin for accepted glass, metal and plastic container materials. Check the current Ottawa recycling rules before putting in unusual plastics, foam, bags, batteries, electronics, or hazardous items.
- Rinse containers when practical.
- Keep material loose, not bagged.
- Do not hide garbage in the recycling bin.
- Use Waste Explorer for confusing items.
Use the black bin for accepted paper and cardboard fibre materials. Oversized cardboard should be flattened and handled according to the current City and provincial recycling instructions.
- Flatten cardboard.
- Keep paper dry when possible.
- Do not place food-soiled cardboard in the wrong stream.
- Use the Collection Calendar so you do not put the wrong bin out.
Blue/black bin mistake: Recycling is weekly, but not every week is the same bin. If your black bin goes out on the wrong week, it may sit there untouched while your neighbour’s blue bin is collected.
Need bins? Ottawa supplies one blue bin, one black bin and one green bin per household, with online replacement or delivery requests available.
Get / Replace BinsOttawa Green Bin Pickup — Weekly Food Waste and Organics Collection
Ottawa green bin food waste continues to be collected weekly. The green bin is the fastest way to reduce garbage items because organic material does not need to take up one of your three garbage item spaces.
- Food scraps and organics accepted by Ottawa.
- Some soiled paper products where accepted by current rules.
- Food waste that would otherwise smell in garbage.
- Small daily kitchen scraps collected in a kitchen container.
- Use the City of Ottawa green bin, not a random substitute bin.
- Freeze smelly scraps until collection morning in hot weather.
- Keep the lid closed to reduce pests.
- Put it out weekly even if garbage is not collected that week.
- Use the official video below if you are unsure why the program matters.
Apartment note: The Green Bin Program is also available in apartment and multi-residential properties, but residents should ask the property manager for the building’s exact carts, room, schedule and sorting rules.
Ottawa Waste Video Guide — Green Bin Program & Composting Process Explained
This official City of Ottawa video is useful for residents who want to understand why green bin sorting matters, what happens after food scraps are collected, and how using the green bin helps reduce pressure on landfill space. It supports the article’s green bin, garbage limit, and diversion guidance.
Best for: new residents, homeowners, renters, apartment residents with green bin access, families with food waste, and residents trying to stay under Ottawa’s three-item garbage limit.
This video supports the practical guidance in this article. For exact pickup dates, holiday changes, missed collection, bins, fees, yellow bags, depot hours, and service alerts, residents should still verify details through the official City of Ottawa links above.
Ottawa Leaf and Yard Waste Pickup 2026 — Separate From the Green Bin
Under the 2026 collection contract, leaf and yard waste continues to be collected weekly, but it must be set out separately from the green bin. The City notice says to use a reusable container labelled “Leaf and Yard Waste” or brown paper bags.
- Put leaf and yard waste out weekly on your collection day.
- Keep it separate from your green bin.
- Use brown paper yard waste bags.
- Or use a reusable container clearly labelled “Leaf and Yard Waste.”
- Set it out after 6:00 PM the evening before and before 7:00 AM.
- Do not mix yard waste with garbage.
- Do not assume yard waste goes inside the green bin after March 30, 2026.
- Do not use plastic bags unless current City instructions specifically allow them.
- Do not put branches, renovation wood or treated lumber into yard waste.
- Use Waste Explorer for uncertain items.
Micro-level resident tip: If you have green bin, recycling and leaf/yard waste in the same week, line them up with space between containers. Do not stack yard bags against bins where collection staff cannot see each stream clearly.
Ottawa Bulky Item Pickup — Furniture, Mattresses, Carpets and the Three-Item Limit
Ottawa bulky items are part of garbage collection and count toward the three-item garbage limit. A couch, mattress, desk, chair, cabinet, tub, carpet or patio furniture can count as one garbage item if it is accepted curbside, but it still uses one of your three spaces.
- Couches and chairs.
- Mattresses and box springs.
- Desks and cabinets.
- Patio furniture.
- Carpets, tied and bundled correctly.
- Large household items that cannot fit in a bag or bin.
- Check if the item can be donated or repaired.
- Use Waste Explorer if it might be electronic, hazardous or special disposal.
- Remember each bulky item counts toward the three-item limit.
- Do not attach a yellow bag to furniture.
- Bundle carpets under the official size and weight limits.
Moving-day warning: A move-out pile is not the same as normal garbage day. If you put out three mattresses plus bags plus furniture, the excess can be left behind with a courtesy tag. Plan donations, reuse, private disposal or landfill drop-off before the final week.
Missed Garbage Pickup Ottawa — What to Check Before Calling 3-1-1
Waste collection contractors operate during the day, so do not report a missed pickup too early. For missed collection, wait until after the daily collection window has passed, then contact 3-1-1 or use Ottawa’s online service request options.
Confirm the correct stream
Was it garbage week, blue bin week, black bin week, green bin week, or leaf/yard waste? Recycling and garbage weeks are easy to confuse.
Check set-out timing
Material should be out after 6:00 PM the evening before and before 7:00 AM on collection day.
Look for a courtesy tag
A courtesy tag usually means the material was rejected because of weight, container size, excess garbage, wrong week, contamination or another by-law issue.
Call or report to Ottawa 3-1-1
Call 3-1-1 inside Ottawa, 613-580-2400 if you are outside the city, or use ottawa.ca/311 for online service requests.
| Problem | Likely Reason | Best Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| Garbage left behind | Over three items, no City yellow bag, overweight container, wrong week, oversized bin, or improper set-out. | Check courtesy tag, correct it, then contact 3-1-1 if needed. |
| Blue or black bin left behind | Wrong recycling week, contamination, blocked container or incorrect bin stream. | Check Collection Calendar and current recycling rules. |
| Green bin left behind | Wrong container, contamination, blocked access or missed route. | Check green bin rules and report if properly set out. |
| Bulky item left behind | Exceeded three-item limit, item not accepted, or needs special disposal. | Use Waste Explorer and plan donation, landfill or private disposal. |
Ottawa Trail Road Landfill, Waste Explorer and Hazardous Waste Options
Some materials should not be placed at the curb. Ottawa points residents to Waste Explorer for disposal instructions and lists Trail Waste Facility Landfill for certain excess waste and drop-off needs. Hazardous waste is not accepted in regular garbage and should not be hidden in bags or bins.
Address: 4475 Trail Road, off Moodie Drive, south of Fallowfield Road. The official page should be checked before visiting because public hours, Saturday dates, fees and accepted materials can change.
- Sort materials before you arrive.
- Use contactless payment where required.
- Do not assume hazardous waste is accepted.
- Check the current official page for Saturday and holiday hours.
- Paint and stains.
- Batteries.
- Electronics.
- Needles, syringes and sharps.
- Medication.
- Construction or renovation material.
- Large move-out items.
Ottawa Garbage and Recycling Phone Number, 3-1-1, Address and Official Links
| Need | Official Contact | Use This For |
|---|---|---|
| Ottawa 3-1-1 | 3-1-1 | Missed collection, illegal dumping, bin issues, waste questions, service requests. |
| Outside Ottawa | 613-580-2400 | Use when calling from outside the city or when 3-1-1 is unavailable. |
| TTY | 613-580-2401 | TTY access listed by the City. |
| City Hall | 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1 | General City of Ottawa contact address. |
| Trail Road Landfill | 4475 Trail Road, Ottawa, ON | Excess waste and landfill drop-off after checking current rules. |
Official Ottawa Waste Links
Related Trash Pickup Guides — Canadian Schedule, Recycling and Holiday Help
These related guides help residents compare Ottawa’s bi-weekly garbage, alternating recycling, green bin and holiday-change rules with other Canadian municipal collection systems.
Internal-link note: After publishing, link back to this Ottawa guide from Canadian trash schedule pages, recycling pages, green bin pages and holiday schedule pages so the post is not isolated.
Ottawa Trash Pickup FAQ — Real Local Questions Answered
Source Verification and Editorial Note
Independent information guide — not affiliated with the City of Ottawa. trash-pickup.org is a public information resource. We do not operate Ottawa garbage pickup, recycling collection, green bin service, yellow bag sales, Collection Calendar, Waste Explorer, Trail Road Landfill, or 3-1-1.
Collection lookup guidance, March 30, 2026 contract changes, three-item garbage limit, container limits, yellow bag pricing, set-out timing, weekly green bin, alternating recycling, leaf/yard waste separation, missed pickup routing, official video availability, Trail Road details and official resource links were checked against City of Ottawa and Engage Ottawa sources as of May 2026. Schedules, routes, fees, accepted items, bin rules and depot hours can change. Always verify through official City links before acting.
Official Sources — Verified May 2026
- City of Ottawa — Collection Calendar
- City of Ottawa — Garbage
- City of Ottawa — Waste Explorer
- City of Ottawa — Get a Blue, Black or Green Bin
- City of Ottawa — 3-1-1
- City of Ottawa — 2026 Curbside Collection Changes Notice
- Engage Ottawa — Curbside Collections Report and Official Waste Videos
- Circular Materials — Ottawa Recycling
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