Waste Management

East Side Collection

Please make sure that your Garbage, Blue Box, and Corrugated Cardboard are placed at the curb by 8:00am (7:00am downtown) on the appropriate day. Garbage bags can be no larger than 89 x 127 cm (35 x 50 inches) and garbage cans no larger than 136 litres (30 Imperial Gallon) capacity. Garbage bags or containers are limited to 18 kg (40 lbs) including the container. There is a limit of 4 bags or containers per unit and each one must have a City Bag Tag. Please flatten and bundle all corrugated cardboard placed at the curb for collection on the appropriate Monday.

Download 2020 East Side Calendar

West Side Collection

Please make sure that your Garbage, Blue Box, and Corrugated Cardboard are placed at the curb by 8:00am on the appropriate day. Garbage bags can be no larger than 89 x 127 cm (35 x 50 inches) and garbage cans no larger than 136 litres (30 Imperial Gallon) capacity.  Garbage bags or containers are limited to 18 kg (40 lbs) including the container. There is a limit of 4 bags or containers per unit and each one must have a City Bag Tag. Please flatten and bundle all corrugated cardboard placed at the curb for collection on the appropriate Monday.

Download 2020 West Side Calendar

Bag Tags

The City of Owen Sound uses a bag tag payment program to encourage recycling and put a value on our environment. A bag tag is required on each container placed at the curb for pick-up.

You may set out up to 4 bags or containers of garbage every other week for collection. If you live in the downtown core, waste is collected every week and there is a 3 bag limit.

Reminder: There is a 40lb (18kg) weight limit on each bag or can of tagged garbage.

Retail bag tag locations are as follows:

List of Bag Tag Locations

*You can purchase tags individually at City Hall, Public Works, and the Library for $2.50 each or in groups of 5 for $12.50.

Retail outlets selling bag tags will only sell in groups of 5 for $12.50.

Prohibited Materials

Below is a list of materials that cannot be put in your garbage for curbside collection:

• Blue box recyclables (pop cans, glass bottles, etc.)
• Electronics
• Motor vehicle tires
• Used oil
• Leaf & yard waste (grass, leaves, and branches)
• Medical waste
• Batteries
• Low level radioactive waste
• Household hazardous waste
• Liquid waste
• Sewage
• Asbestos
• Brick, rubble, soil, fill, etc.
• Root balls/stumps

Please deposit smoke detectors in your garbage. For more information, please see the proper safety and disposal method for household smoke detectors.

Minimizing Odours

• Use a well-sealed garbage can
• Keep your garbage can clean and dry
• Double bag garbage if not using a garbage can
• Keep garbage containers out of direct sunlight
• Store garbage away from decks and open windows if possible
• Use odour-shield garbage bags
• Freeze food waste prior to bringing your garbage to the curb
• Line your garbage containers with newspaper to absorb any leaking liquids
• Place odourous items in a sealed bag before placing them in your garbage can or bag
• Flush solids from soiled diapers down the toilet
• Use an odour absorber in your garbage can such as baking soda
• Reduce odours with commercial sprays or moth balls
• Deliver periodic excess waste directly to the transfer station
• Keep your garbage in the garage or outside to avoid odours inside
• Use your backyard composter as much as possible

Location, Hours and Disposal Fees

The Miller Waste Transfer Station is located at 2085 20th Avenue East. The City of Owen Sound's recycling drop-off depot is also located at the transfer station.

Hours of Operation

• Monday to Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm
• Saturdays 8:00am to 2:00pm
• Closed Sundays and Statutory Holidays

Disposal Fees

Miller Waste Transfer Station is a privately owned facility and the tipping fees are set by Miller Waste. Miller Waste operates the City of Owen Sound Recycling Depot, located at the transfer station on behalf of the City.

If you have more than 4 bags of garbage (the bi-weekly allowable limit for collection), you can take it directly to the Miller Waste Transfer Station but don't put a bag tag on it as you will be charged a disposal fee instead, even if the bag tag is there.

For more information about Miller Waste, please see the Miller Group website for the City of Owen Sound, or call (519) 372-1855.

Material separation

• CFC Applicances (fridge, freezer, air conditioner, dehumidifier, etc.)
• Scrap metal
• Appliances that do not contain refrigerant
• Tires
• Blue box materials
• Corrugated cardboard
• Boxboard, wax and plastic coated boxboard including juice boxes
• Newspaper, fine paper, etc.
• Glass (clear and colour glass jars and bottles - no pane glass)
• Tin and plastics (cans, bottles, clean foil wrap, tubs and lids, etc.)
• Metal pots and pans with plastic handles removed
• Tupperware

Mandatory Recycling By-Law

The Mandatory Recycling By-Law has information for industrial, commercial and institutional facilities.

Blue Box Recycling

Residential recycling containers

Residents can recycle using either the standard blue box or transparent plastic bags, but it must be properly sorted. You can buy blue boxes at the City of Owen Sound Public Works (1900 20th Street East) and at City Hall.

• A standard blue box (for curbside pickup) is $7.06 (including taxes)
• A mini blue box (for apartments or businesses using wheeled carts) is $3.96 (including taxes)

*Please note: purchases made at Public Works must be made by cash or cheque.

Industrial, commercial, institutional and apartment building containers

City recycling carts are available for no charge to qualifying city businesses and apartment buildings.

For more information, please call Public Works at (519) 376-4274.

Goods Exchange Days

Goods exchange days are part of the City's Environmental Program. These dates are designated days providing an opportunity for City residents to leave items that are no longer useful to them but they feel may be useful to others.

Place items at the end of your driveway or edge of your lawn. Tie a white plastic bag to one or more of the items to indicate these are goods exchange day items.

Acceptable Items:

• Furniture
• Small appliances
• Doors
• Sinks
• Windows
• Art
• Books
• Tools
• Sporting Goods
• Toys
• etc.

The City does not assume any liability for items lost or removed during goods exchange days. 

Leftover items must be removed by 6:00 p.m. that evening as there will be no special municipal collection.

2019 Dates:

• Saturday, April 20, 2019
• Saturday, July 20, 2019
• Saturday, October 19, 2019

Material list

Residents can recycle with either a standard blue box or transparent plastic bags but they must be properly sorted.

• Recycling blue box sorting guide
• Recycling bag sorting guide

Electronics recycling

The Habitat for Humanity ReStore is the certified collection point for the Ontario Electronic Stewardship Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

You can drop off, at no cost, electronics; including computers and peripherals (keyboards/mice), fax machines, televisions and cell phones.

Some electronic items such as electric organ players, large office photocopiers and childrens electronic toys (due to high plastic content) are not accepted. 

For a list of accepted ewaste items please visit the Owen Sound ReStore ewaste items page. 

Alternatively you can call the ReStore at (519) 371-6776

Grey Bruce ReStore location: 223017 Grey Road 17, Springmount

Corrugated cardboard recycling

Corrugated cardboard is the thick cardboard. Boxes must be flattened and tied in a bundle when placed at the curb for pick up. Unlike boxboard, this will not be accepted in the regular curbside blue box collection.

Corrugated cardboard is picked up separately every Wednesday in the downtown core (before 7:00am) and approximately one Monday per month throughout the rest of the city (before 8:00am) with the exception of the Industrial Park.

Material list

We cannot accept:

• materials containing PCBs (e.g., fluorescent light ballasts)
• infectious wastes (old syringes)
• radioactive wastes (e.g., smoke detectors)
• explosives
• ammunition or flares
• unidentified wastes

Accepted Material List.

Household hazardous waste printable form

Schedule and location

The City is prohibited by law from accepting hazardous waste at any other time.

City of Owen Sound Public Works Building

1900 20th Street East

Open 9:00am to 2:00pm on the following Saturdays:

2019 Dates:

• Saturday April 13, 2019
• Saturday May 4, 2019
• Saturday June 1, 2019
• Saturday July 6, 2019
• Saturday August 10, 2019
• Saturday September 7, 2019
• Saturday October 5, 2019
• Saturday October 19, 2019

2020 Dates:

• Saturday April 18, 2020
• Saturday May 23, 2020
• Saturday June 20, 2020
• Saturday July 11, 2020
• Saturday August 15, 2020
• Saturday September 2, 2020
• Saturday October 3, 2020
• Saturday October 24, 2020

Hours of Operation

 8:30am to 8:00pm, 7 days a week

Material List

• Leaves
• Grass clippings
• Houseplants
• Weeds and garden plants
• Sod (Top 5cm of domestic lawns, must be put in the designated bunker near the entrance)
• Brush (must be put in the brush pile and not the yard waste window)
• Clean stumps
• Logs and firewood
• Branches

Composting

The City of Owen Sound does not have curbside organics. To encourage backyard composting, you can buy kitchen containers ($6.78) and backyard composters ($22.60) at the following locations: