What Can (and Can't) Go in a Bin?

The short answer: household junk, renovation debris, yard waste, and most building materials are fine. Heavy stuff like concrete, shingles, and fill dirt is fine but priced separately by weight. Hazardous waste — paint, chemicals, propane, asbestos — is never accepted, anywhere in Ontario, by any bin company. Below is the full breakdown, plus what happens if the wrong things end up in your bin.

✅ Yes — these are fine in a standard bin

Anything you'd typically clean out of a house, yard, or small renovation. Specifically:

• Household junk: furniture, mattresses, clothes, books, toys, kitchenware, broken electronics (small)
• Renovation debris: drywall, lumber, trim, flooring (laminate, vinyl, hardwood, carpet), cabinets, doors, windows
• Yard waste: branches, sod, leaves, grass clippings, deck boards, fence panels, old garden materials
• General junk: cardboard, packaging, plastic, broken plastics, scrap metal in normal quantities
• Bathroom & kitchen tear-outs: old toilets, tubs, sinks, vanities, tile (small quantities)
• Old appliances (most): washers, dryers, dishwashers, ovens, microwaves. Fridges and freezers — call us first; some haulers require freon to be removed before pickup.

⚖️ Yes, but priced separately by weight

Heavy materials are accepted, but they're charged by the tonne because of disposal weight limits. Mention these when you book so we can quote the full price upfront — no surprises on pickup.

• Roofing shingles — common in renos. Quoted per tonne.
• Concrete & brick — driveway breakup, foundation work, walkway demo
• Fill dirt & soil — landscaping projects, garden bed removal
• Tile (large quantities) — full bathroom or kitchen demolitions
• Sand, gravel, stone — landscaping waste

If you're doing a roofing tear-off and a kitchen reno in the same bin, the kitchen waste rides for free under the included weight limit; the shingles get tonnage on top. See the full pricing breakdown.

🚫 No — never accepted (Ontario law)

These are illegal in any commercial bin in Ontario, full stop. If you've got any of these, we'll point you toward the right disposal channel — usually your local household hazardous waste depot.

• Asbestos (any form) — requires licensed abatement contractor
• Liquid paint, solvents, oils, fuels — Ontario HHW depot only
• Propane tanks (full or empty) — exchange/return programs only
• Pressurized cylinders — fire extinguishers, helium tanks
• Tires — Ontario tire stewardship handles these (free at most retailers)
• Batteries (car, lead-acid, lithium-ion) — battery recycling drop-off
• Medical waste / sharps — pharmacy or hospital programs
• Pesticides & herbicides — HHW depot
• Pool chemicals — HHW depot
• Refrigerators with intact freon — appliance recycler that handles refrigerant
• Mercury-containing items — thermostats, fluorescent bulbs
• Animal carcasses — wildlife services or municipal disposal

Region-specific quirks across our service area

The list above applies everywhere, but a few municipalities have local rules worth knowing:

• Guelph & Wellington County: The City of Guelph waste depot on Dunlop Drive accepts household hazardous waste and electronics for free.
• Region of Waterloo (Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo): The Region of Waterloo waste sites in Cambridge and Waterloo handle HHW and bulky items separately.
• Milton (Halton Region): Halton's HHW depot in Milton handles paint, batteries, and chemicals — free for residents.
• Fergus & Elora (Centre Wellington): Smaller township — most HHW is consolidated through Wellington County's mobile collection events. Check their schedule before relying on it.

A few edge cases people always ask about

Is a bed bug-infested mattress okay?

Technically yes, but tell us so we can wrap it for transport. It's a courtesy to the dump staff and protects other items in the bin. Don't just toss it in unwrapped.

What about food waste from a restaurant cleanout?

Small quantities of dry food packaging and shelf-stable goods are fine. Large quantities of perishable food, frozen products, or restaurant fryer oil need different handling — call us first.

Old photos, paperwork, sensitive documents?

If they contain personal information, shred them first. Bin contents go to a transfer station where they're sorted — assume nothing in the bin stays private.

Old TVs, computers, e-waste?

Small electronics (laptops, phones, small TVs, microwaves) are okay in normal household quantities. If you're cleaning out an entire office or contractor's stockpile, send them to Recycle It Canada or the appropriate municipal e-waste depot — they recover more value and it's free.

Treated lumber, pressure-treated wood?

Yes — treated lumber, deck boards, fence panels, all fine. They go to the same disposal stream.

Tires (single tire from a garage cleanout)?

No, even one tire. Ontario's tire stewardship is well-funded and easy — drop tires at any Canadian Tire, Costco, OK Tire, or municipal depot for free.

When in doubt, call

If you're staring at a pile of stuff and you're not sure whether it's bin-okay, just call. We've seen most of it before and can tell you in 30 seconds. Better than guessing wrong and getting hit with a surcharge.

When you book, mention any of the heavy items (shingles, concrete, fill) so we can quote the full price up front. Book a bin online or call 226.243.5199 — we answer Mon–Fri 9am–8pm, Sat–Sun 9am–6pm.