Garbage, Recycling and Waste

Placement

• Place your cart at the end of your driveway, close to the road.
• Set it on level ground
• Keep it clear of snowbanks and obstacles
• Do not place it on the road or sidewalk

Direction

• Position your cart so it can be easily accessed by the collection truck.
• Wheels facing your home
• Front of the cart facing the road

Spacing

• Leave enough room around your cart so the truck’s mechanical arm can lift it.
• At least 3 feet (1 metre) between carts
• At least 3 feet (1 metre) from other objects (cars, mailboxes, etc.)

Lid and Contents

• Make sure your cart can open properly when it is lifted.
• Keep the lid closed
• Do not place items on top of the lid
• Do not tie or secure the lid shut

The carts will be equipped with wildlife-proof lid to discourage common wildlife from from access.

Overhead Clearance

• The truck needs space above the cart to lift it safely.
• Keep the area above your cart clear
• Avoid placing carts under:
  • Tree branches
  • Wires
  • Structures

If your cart is not set out properly, it may not be collected.

Not everything can be recycled. For the items that cannot be reused or recycled, the Township provides a bi-weekly household garbage collection.

Please follow the collection guidelines below:

• Sort common household waste that cannot be recycled or composted into your garbage container. 
• You can put multiple garbage bags into your garbage container for collection day. 
• Do not overfill garbage carts. Lids must remain closed for collection. 
• If you overfill your garbage cart, collection may not occur. 
• Follow the Setting Out Your Carts Guidelines to ensure you are not refused collection due to incorrect placement. 

You should not place any of the following items in your household garbage 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 (such as paint cans, aerosols, or propane cans)
• Liquid waste
• Sewage
• Asbestos
• Brick, rubble, soil, fill, etc.
• Root balls/stumps

To learn more about what goes in the Garbage Bin, check out our What Goes Where webpage. 

Some common household waste is compostable and can be placed into the Organics (Green) Bin instead of the Garbage Bin. The Organics Bin or "Green Bin" makes it easy for you to divert organic waste from landfills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and turn food scraps, soiled paper, and other compostable materials into useful compost, all while protecting the environment and reducing overall waste.

Organics - Weekly Collection

Please follow these organics (green) bin guidelines: 

• Sort acceptable organic waste items into your compost container. 
• Recommended but not required: line your organics container with compostable bags, newspaper, or 100% compostable (not wax lined) paper bags to keep your container clean. 
• In winter, ensure no organic waste sticks to the side of your container. If waste freezes to the side your organics bin, it may not be collected. 
• Organics collection occurs weekly, so make sure you set out your cart correctly alongside your recycling or garbage bin depending on which one is being collected that week. 

To learn more about what goes in the Organics (green) Bin, check out our What Goes Where webpage. 

As of January 1, 2026, the Province of Ontario has taken over Recycling collection across the province.

Please visit the Circular Materials Ontario website website for all information on recycling pickup including the pickup schedule, what materials are included, and to report a missed collection.

Sometimes, garbage may not be collected. This can be inconvenient, and the Township apologizes for any disruption this may cause. There are a number of reasons this might occur.

For missed garbage collection:

• Check your waste for an ‘Oops Tag’. Oops tags are left on garbage that cannot be collected. This might be because items were too heavy to be collected, or items were not properly sorted.  If you got an Oops Tag, please bring your waste back to the house, correct the issue, and place your waste back out on your next scheduled collection day.
• If your garbage was placed at the curbside by 7 a.m. on your collection day, and was put out following our Collection Guidelines, your collection may have been accidentally missed. This might be as a result of staffing pressures, equipment issues, or weather-related challenges. Unfortunately, sometimes things happen that mean collection cannot be completed as we all hope.
• If this has happened to you, please Report the missed pickup through ContactGB. This will forward your information directly to the relevant staff, and you will be provided a case number to track your inquiry for follow up.

For missed recycling collection:

• Please note that Georgian Bluffs is no longer involved with recycling collection. Please follow the missed collection instructions found at circularmaterials.ca/resident-communities/georgian-bluffs/