Garbage and Recycling

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:

*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.

Garbage Bag Tag Guidelines

To make sure your garbage will be collected, please ensure the entire Owen Sound bag tag is visible.

Using a bag tag on a garbage bag:

• Secure the bag tag around the neck (or top) of the bag.
• Do not use tags as a twist tie. 
• Make sure the full tag can be seen. 

Using a bag tag on a garbage can:

• Do not place the bag tag on the garbage can itself.
• Place the tag on the top bag inside the garbage can.
• Make sure the tag will be clearly visible when the collector removes the lid. 
• You only need one tag on the top bag for the entire container to be collected as long as it weighs less than 18 kilograms/40 pounds.

Please Note:

• Do not use tags for recycling, hazardous waste or leaf and yard trimmings.
• You must bring garbage that can’t be bagged, placed in an approved garbage can, or properly bundled to the transfer station located at 2085 20th Avenue East.  

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.

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.

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.

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

Location:

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

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 River District and the City of Owen Sound have teamed up to create the Community Clean Up Cart, the first initiative under the Locals Love It Here Campaign. This campaign is focused on people showing their love for the City of Owen Sound and the heart of the city, the River District.

Community Clean Up Carts can be borrowed for free from City Hall and assist in cleaning up public outdoor spaces.  Carts include a pull behind wagon, bin, bags, gloves, and more.

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

Blue boxes can be purchased through Miller Waste Systems.

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. 

Corrugated cardboard is thick cardboard, often used for packing boxes, etc. Boxes must be flattened and tied in a bundle when placed at the curb for pick up. Unlike boxboard (such as cereal boxes), this will not be accepted in the regular curbside blue box collection.

NEW! Beginning January 2025, corrugated cardboard pick-up will now be bi-weekly, on your regular recycling day.

Corrugated cardboard must be broken down to a size no larger than 24”x18”x6” (roughly the size of a standard carry-on suitcase) and must be bundled or placed in a container.

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 e-waste items please visit the Owen Sound ReStore e-waste items page or call (519) 371-6776.

Grey Bruce ReStore location: 223017 Grey Road 17 (Springmount)

Batteries thrown in the trash or recycling bin can spark and possibly cause a fire, and batteries that end up in landfills can be harmful to wildlife and the environment. 

Used batteries can be safely recycled at Public Works during regular business hours, or on Household Hazardous Waste days.

For more information and other battery recycling options, please visit www.call2recycle.ca.

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

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
• Fire Extinguishers
• 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
• Empty paint cans
• 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.  Household hazardous waste cannot be transported on City buses.  Carpooling with neighbours is encouraged.

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:

2025 Dates:

• Saturday, April 26
• Saturday, May 24
• Saturday, June 14
• Saturday, July 12
• Saturday, August 16
• Saturday, September 13
• Saturday, October 4
• Saturday, October 25

The Goods Exchange Day program is designated to provide an opportunity for 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 on the appropriate dates listed below to indicate these are goods exchange day items.

Some acceptable items include:

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

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. 

2025 Dates:

• Saturday, May 17
• Saturday, July 19
• Saturday, September 20

The City of Owen Sound does not collect leaf and yard waste at the curb (even if it has a bag tag). It must be brought to the composting facility that is located at 2450 28th Avenue East (the southwest corner of the intersection of 28^th Avenue East and 26^th Street East, north of 20^th Street East).

The Leaf & Yard Waste composting facility is for the City of Owen Sound, Township of Georgian Bluffs and Municipality of Meaford Residential Use ONLY.

All compost information, including hours, accepted materials, and helpful tips, can be found at OwenSound.ca/Compost

Refuse

Do not take items unless you’re going to use them. Say ‘no’ to bags, receipts, extra napkins and cutlery. Avoid produce and other items wrapped in too much packaging.

Reuse

Use reusable bags for shopping and gift giving, reusable bottles and mugs instead of disposables when on the go and real dishes and cutlery at events. When shopping, consider thrift stores and garage sales, as well as buying items in bulk using your own containers.

Re-purpose

Find new uses for things you would otherwise throw away. A few examples include using cookie tins for storage, turning old clothes into rags, using cans as pencil holders and using old jars as vases or food storage containers.

Swap

Attend or organize a swap with friends or neighbours. The Swap It Toolkit, a multi-language and customizable package of resources, includes everything you need to organize a successful swap event in your community, building, or workplace.

Borrow/Share/Rent

Consider borrowing or sharing less frequently used items, such as tools, party supplies, camping gear, sports equipment, board games and toys. Lawn mowers and ladders can be shared with neighbours, while clothing can be rented for special events.

Repair

Extend the life of items like clothing, appliances and electronics by repairing them and keep an eye out for repair events in the community.

Shop Consciously

Plan ahead, buy only what you need, and consider the impact of packaging when making purchases.

Donate

Give clothing, books, toys and more a new life by donating them.

Try one of these sustainable swaps to help reduce your everyday waste.

Textiles, like clothing or furniture, that are put into the garbage end up in landfills, where they take up valuable space and release greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. Manufacturing clothing also has a significant environmental impact from the raw materials and energy used to the pollution created in the process. Reusing or re-purposing clothing extends its life.

Ways to Shrink Your Clothing Footprint

• Shop consciously. Buy only what you need and look for clothes that are high quality and will last.
• Bring unwanted clothing back to retailers who have take-back programs.
• Buy second-hand. Thrift stores, online marketplaces, and garage sales are great places to find clothing that is new to you.
• Borrow, share or swap clothing instead of buying new, or renting special occasion clothing for a special event.
• Repair clothing to extend its life.
• Give clothes a new life through donations. Find non-profit organizations where you can donate unwanted clothing and other items.