Waste Management

Please make sure that your garbage, blue box, and corrugated cardboard are placed at the curb by 8:00 am (6:00 am downtown) on the appropriate day.

Garbage bags can be no larger than 89cm x 127cm (35in x 50in), and garbage cans no larger than 136 litres (30 Imperial Gallon) capacity.

Garbage bags or containers are limited to 18kg (40lbs), 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 the 2023 Waste Management Calendar here.

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 bag or 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

*Bag tags can be purchased individually at City Hall, Public Works, the Transit Terminal and the Library for $2.50 individually or in groups of 5 for $12.50.

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

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.

To minimize unpleasant odours caused from waste:

• 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, such as baking soda, in your garbage can

• 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

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. Ensure these bags do not have bag tags on them as Miller Waste has outlined disposal fees for their services.

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

The following list of materials must be separated from your garbage and placed in the appropriate bin or area at the Miller Waste Transfer Station:

• CFC Appliances (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

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

Residential recycling containers:

Residents can recycle using either the standard blue box or transparent plastic bags, but it must be properly sorted.

Blue boxes can be purchased at the City of Owen Sound Public Works (1900 20th Street East), the Transit Terminal (1020 3rd Ave E), and at City Hall (808 2nd Avenue East).

• A standard blue box (for curbside pickup) is $7.72 (including taxes)
• A mini blue box (for apartments or businesses using wheeled carts) is $4.16 (including taxes)

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.

The Goods Exchange Day program is designated to provide an opportunity to City residents to leave items that are no longer useful to them but may still be useful to others.

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

Some acceptable items include:

• Furniture
• Small appliances
• Doors
• Sinks
• Windows
• Art
• Books
• Tools
• Sporting gods
• Toys

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

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

2023 Dates:

• Saturday, May 20
• Saturday, July 22
• Saturday, September 23

Residents can recycle with either a standard blue box or transparent plastic bags. To ensure your recycling is collected, please properly sort all bags and containers. A list of all items that can and cannot be accepted can be found by using our Owen Sound Recycling Guide. When recycling in clear plastic bags, please refer to the Clear Bag Sorting Guide.

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

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

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

As you uncover old batteries in your garage, basement or junk drawers, remember that properly recycling them is the safest and the most responsible thing you can do. Batteries thrown in the trash or recycling bin can spark and possibly cause a fire and batteries that end up in our landfills can be harmful to wildlife and the environment. 

When you have used batteries, safely protect and store them at home until you’re ready to take them to a drop-off location for recycling. For more information please visit www.call2recycle.ca.

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 6:00am) and approximately one Monday per month throughout the rest of the city (before 8:00am) with the exception of the Industrial Park.

Material List

Household Hazardous Waste includes materials that are corrosive, oxidizing, flammable or poisonous. 

Acceptable items include: 

• Aerosol cans (full or partially full)
• Antifreeze
• Batteries 
• Bleach
• Brake fluid
• Cosmetics and beauty products
• Detergents
• Disinfectants
• Fertilizers
• Gasoline (containers brought to the depot will not be returned)
• Fluorescent tubes and CFL bulbs (broken ones are not accepted)
• Glues and adhesives
• Household cleaners (includes oven, drain, floor, glass and toilet cleaners)
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Mercury containing items
• Mildew remover
• Mothballs
• Motor oil
• Oil filters
• Paints (liquid and solid)
• Paint thinner and varnish remover
• Pesticides, insecticides and herbicides
• Pool chemicals
• Propane tanks
• Solvents
• Pharmaceuticals
• Prescription medicines
• Waxes
• Windshield washer fluid

Unacceptable items include:

• Materials containing PCBs (e.g. fluorescent light ballasts)
• Infectious or medical wastes (old syringes)
• Radioactive wastes (e.g. smoke detectors)
Explosives, ammunition or flares
• If you have any of the items listed above, please contact your local police branch for further disposal information
• Broken or leaking containers
• Unidentified wastes
• Empty containers, recycling and garbage
• Material generated by farms, industrial, commercial and institutional sources

All residents visiting the Household Hazardous Waste facility are required to fill out the form below.

Hazardous Waste Report Form

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
Owen Sound, ON N4K 5N6

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

2023 Dates:

• Saturday, April 22
• Saturday, May 13
• Saturday, June 17
• Saturday, July 15
• Saturday, August 19
• Saturday, September 16
• Saturday, October 14
• Saturday, October 28

The Owen Sound Composting Facility is closed for the season and will be reopening in April 2023.

Items that can be accepted at the leaf & yard waste facility include:  

• Leaves
• Grass clippings
• Houseplants
• 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

The City of Owen Sound does not have a curbside organics program. To divert some organic material from your household garbage, kitchen containers ($7.12) and backyard composters ($23.73) can be purchased at the following locations year round: