yard waste bags, garbage bags, green bin and blue boxes set out at the curb

Waste Tips

Visit the Reducing Your Waste page for appropriate alternatives to sending materials to landfills.

Visiting a City facility or our downtown? Check the Waste On The Go page to learn how to dispose of your litter in our diversion bins.

Know Before You Throw Tool

Not sure how to sort your waste? Look up an item to identify where to dispose or recycle it.

Common set out mistakes

Here are some common reasons your waste may have been left at the curb and helpful tips to ensure your collection is not missed.

General mistakes

Late set out

Set your materials by the curb no later than 7 a.m. on the day of your collection and no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before.

Overweight

Your materials may be too heavy. Garbage bags, yard waste and green bins have weight limits of 20 kg (44 lbs).

Not within reach

Make sure your materials are visible and accessible.
Placing materials within 30cm (1 ft) of the curb and at ground level will help our collection staff be more efficient.
In the winter, be sure to place your materials in an area free of snow and ice.
Parked cars or snowbanks make it difficult for collection operators to see and collect your waste.
To reduce worker injury, materials must be placed at ground level at the end of your driveway in an area free of snow and ice.

Not acceptable

Household hazardous waste (syringes, batteries, paint, oil etc.), construction/demolition materials (drywall, wood, bricks), and grass clippings should not be set out at the curb for collection.
Visit the Region of Durham's Waste Management Facility in Oshawa or hire a private contractor to collect unacceptable materials.

Not your collection day

Check your collection schedule by downloading the Durham Region Waste App or using our schedule lookup tool on the Collection Schedule page.
There is no waste collection service on statutory holidays. After a holiday, collection occurs one day later than your regular collection day. Visit our Holiday Collection page for more information.

Waste specific mistakes

Blue box recycling

Cardboard was not broken down

Fold cardboard boxes flat and cut, tie and bundle cardboard. The cardboard should not be larger than the size of your blue box.

Materials are not separated

Recycling must be separated into paper fibres placed in one blue box and containers placed in a separate blue box. Mixed materials are harder to separate at the recycling facility.

For more details about this waste, visit the Recycling page.

Green bin waste

Incorrect liner bags in the green bin.

Use only 100% certified compostable liner bags.

For more details about this waste, visit the Green Bin page.

Garbage

Garbage bags are too big

Only use standard sized garbage bags no larger than 66 cm x 90 cm (26" x 36"). Purchase bag tags if necessary, visit the Garbage page.

Garbage was set out in a garbage can

For collection efficiency, the City does not pick up garbage that has been set out in returnable containers or cans. Instead, use garbage bags at the curb.

Incorrect set out day

Garbage collection occurs every other week. Check your schedule or use the schedule lookup tool on the Collection Schedule page to verify that you have the correct day.

For more details about this waste, visit the Garbage page.

Large item collection

The pick up was not scheduled for collecting large items (furniture or appliances)

Call Service Oshawa or book online on the Large Item Collection page at least two business days before your garbage collection to arrange for the pick-up of large items.

Exceeds the 12 item limit

Up to 12 items may be picked up during a large item collection. Small items must be placed in garbage bags, set out with your regular curbside garbage collection, and affixed with a bag tag if necessary. Additional large item collections may be booked for a $25 fee. Alternatively, items may be taken to the Region of Durham's Waste Management Facility.

Items exceed the size restrictions

For materials to fit into the collection vehicle and to ensure worker safety, large items should not exceed 3 m (10 ft.) in length or weigh more than 70 kg (154 lbs.). Bundled items must not exceed 76 cm (30 in) in length, 36 cm (14 in) in width and 36 cm (14 in) in height and weigh less than 20 kg (44 lbs.).

If your waste was not collected, please remove it from the curb by 8 p.m. Items left at the curb are subject to a fine or clean up fees.

For more details about this waste, visit the Large Item Collection page.

Yard waste

Incorrect day

Yard waste is collected seasonally, every other week on the same day as your garbage day, starting in the spring and ending in late fall. Check your collection schedule by downloading the Durham Region Waste App or using our schedule lookup tool on the Collection Schedule page.

Grass clippings

Grass clippings are not allowed at the curb because they cause issues at the compost facility. Instead, leave grass clippings on your lawn and let them decay naturally. This saves time and improves the health of your lawn.

Unacceptable container

Yard waste set out in plastic bags will not be collected. Instead, use only kraft paper bags or clearly labelled returnable open-top containers.

Higher than normal volumes

The spring and fall often are periods with higher volumes of yard waste. During these periods, residents may experience delays of up to two business days in yard waste collection services. Check our website for service updates. We appreciate your patience.

For more details about this waste, visit the Yard Waste page.