Regular collections
Information about the collection of household garbage, recycling and composting. Everything you need to know to help it go smoothly.
Essential information about the collection of household garbage, recycling and composting, and what you have to do to help it go smoothly.
Gatineau has three regular collections:
Not sure where something goes? Do a search in DTRITUS.
| Type of Bin | Type of Residual Material | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Brown bin (compost) | Food, paper and soiled cardboard, yard waste | Weekly |
| Blue bin (recycling) | Containers, packaging, printed material | Every 2 weeks (alternating) |
| Grey bins (garbage) | Broken items, diapers, sanitary products, pet excrement and litter, soiled textiles | Every 2 weeks (alternating) |
For your next collection date, consult the collection calendar.
Place your bins at the side of the street or sidewalk between 7 p.m. the day before and 7 a.m. the morning of collection day.
Your bins are emptied by a truck with a robotic arm.
For this collection to go smoothly, follow the instructions below:
The following instructions are for winter collection:
Depending on the layout of your street, this is how you should place your bins.
| Street Layout | Bin Placement | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Street without a sidewalk or bike lane | At the end of the driveway, as close as possible to the street |  |
| Street with a sidewalk and winter maintenance | At the end of the driveway, right before the sidewalk |  |
| Street with a sidewalk and winter maintenance, with snow accumulation at the edges | As close as possible to the street, aligned with the snowbank |  |
| Street with a sidewalk, without winter maintenance | At the end of the driveway, aligned with the sidewalk |  |
| Street with a sidewalk and grass strip | At the end of the driveway, aligned with the grass strip |  |
| Street with a bike lane | Between the street and the bike lane |  |
| Street with a bike lane, grass strip and sidewalk | Aligned with the grass strip, before the sidewalk |  |
| Street with a widened sidewalk and winter maintenance | On the widened sidewalk, next to the street |  |
Ville de Gatineau provides households with a grey, a blue and a brown bin. The bins belong to Gatineau, and must remain at the address to which they were delivered. Each bin has a chip indicating the address to which it was delivered.
The bins provided by Ville de Gatineau must be used exclusively for the purpose for which they were provided (blue bin = recyclables, brown bin = compost, grey bin = trash).
Anti-rodent latches are available for regular grey and brown bins provided to single-family homes, and can be picked up at any of the service centres or libraries.
Here are a few simple tips on how to use your blue and brown bins while improving the quality of the recycled or composted materials.
The main difference between the two bins is the type of handle used for the mechanical lifting.
Only the European model wheeled bins are compatible with our trucks.
Proper ways to set out items for collection
Ville de Gatineau wheeled bins (brown, blue and grey)
European model wheeled bins (80 to 360 L, other than blue), identified by a “V” for surplus yard waste
Ville de Gatineau tagged excess trash bags
Improper ways to set out items for collection
Round garbage cans
Bags of leaves
American model wheeled bins
Boxes
Branches and surplus next to the bins
Recycling bags
Bins must be removed from the curb on collection day, after the collection, no later than 9 p.m.
Robotized collection is faster and requires less personnel. It helps maintain the quality of the service offered and to limit late collections.
Some of the trucks with robotic arms used in Gatineau have two compartments: one for compost and one for garbage. The contents are kept apart by a divider controlled by the driver. When the trucks reach the waste transfer centre, each compartment is emptied separately and the contents routed to the right place.
Use whatever space is available on your property, such as your driveway or lawn, for your bins as instructed for robotized collection. Make sure there is no obstacle in front of the bins (such as a car) and leave 60 cm (24 in) on either side of each bin.
If possible, only release the latch the morning of the collection (before 7 a.m.).
To keep animals out, you can also apply mentholated cream around the lid.
The following tips can help reduce the risk:
A 30 cm (1 foot) snowbank can prevent a robotic arm from lifting a small 80 litre brown bin because the arm will not be able to go low enough. The smaller the bin, the more likely it is that a snowbank will prevent the robotic arm from doing its work.
If your driveway is narrow, we recommend clearing a space wider than your driveway.
You can also clear another spot on your property for your bin, as long as there is no obstacle in front of the bins and the instructions for robotized collection are followed.
Yes, as long as you follow the instructions for robotized collection. Place them as close as possible to the street, making sure they remain between the snowbanks, so they don't interfere with snow clearing operations.
The robotic arm has a reach of 3.65 metres (12 feet).
Yes, as long as the accumulated snow does not prevent the lids from opening.
Nonetheless, we would appreciate it if you could clear the snow off your bins.
Yes, as long as you follow the instructions for robotized collection.
Place your bins as close as possible to the street, making sure they remain between the snowbanks, so they don't interfere with snow clearing operations.
Because bins on the street interfere with the speed and quality of snow clearing operations.
No. You are responsible for ensuring that there are no obstacles in front of your bins, even after a snowstorm.
If you cannot wait for the next collection:
If you prefer to wait for the next trash collection, you can, if necessary, use tagged surplus trash bags.
In winter, bins are more likely to tip over because of the uneven ground. We appreciate residents for their understanding.
Trash collectors are supposed to set the bins down without obstructing the sidewalk or the street. If they repeatedly fail to do so, you can submit a request online or call 311.
Because plastic bags, even those labelled as biodegradable or oxo-biodegradable, do not decompose during the composting process. That means they contaminate the compost. Only certified compostable bags are accepted. Look for these logos:
Because they may contain toxic residues (medication, chemical products) that would contaminate the compost.
Because they contain non-compostable plastic and would contaminate the compost.
Compostables are taken to the Laflèche Environmental plant in Moose Creek, Ontario.
Ville de Gatineau provides only one kitchen container, which is delivered along with the first brown bin.
You can buy additional kitchen containers at the store.
Recyclables are taken to the Tricentris sorting station, in Gatineau.
They are then sorted (by machines and people) and bundled. Those bundles are then sold to processing and recycling companies that recover or transform them into new products.
In 2023, close to 70% of blue bin contents were recycled in Quebec.
Since January 1, 2025, Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) has been responsible for recyclables.
To simplify sorting, ÉEQ standardized the rules for all municipalities in Quebec: containers, packaging and printed material all now go into the blue bin.
This is why items such as polystyrene trays and snack bags are now accepted.
It is taken to the Hull area waste transfer centre, loaded onto trailers, transported about 135 km, and then disposed of at a landfill operated by Waste Management, either in Lachute or Sainte-Sophie, in the Laurentians.
Keep your bins in the side yard or the backyard, at least one metre from your neighbour's property.
If you live in row housing, and don't have enough room at the side, you can keep your bins in front of your house.
You are responsible for regular maintenance of your bins so they remain clean.
Yes, you can mark your address in the designated space on the bins provided by Ville de Gatineau.
Yes, you are subject to the same requirements and restrictions as any other resident receiving curbside collection.
A business can have up to 6 blue bins and 4 brown bins. Robotized collection instructions still apply.
Yes, you can still get blue and brown bins from Ville de Gatineau. For your garbage, you should hire a private collection contractor.
Recognized for its quality of life, Gatineau is a city of 298,000 inhabitants. It is located on the north shore of the Ottawa River, and extends east and west of the Gatineau River.