Compostables are collected weekly for units that pay the residual materials levy.
Place your brown bin or your other containers next to the curb or the sidewalk after 7 p.m. the day before or by 7 a.m. on collection day. Bins must be removed from the curb no later than 9 p.m. on collection day, as per municipal by-law.
Robotized collection
From now on, your bins will be emptied by a truck with a robotic arm (certain exceptions apply).
To enable the robotic arm to properly empty your bins, make sure that:
- you use only the designated bins (see below)
- the wheels are facing your house
- there is a 60 cm clearance on either side of each bin, and there are no obstacles in front of them
- Make sure no vehicle is parked in front of your bins to avoid blocking access by the robotic arm
- the lids are completely closed, with no overflow and nothing on the lid that could fall on the ground when the bin is lifted by the robotized arm
- the anti-rodent latch is released
- your bins are on your driveway or on your property, not on the street or on the sidewalk, to avoid blocking the movement of pedestrians and snow clearing equipment
Accepted collection methods
Ville de Gatineau brown wheeled bins
80 to 360 litre European model* wheeled bins identified by a “V” (for “vert”) for yard waste (any colour other than blue)
Refused collection methods
Branches and other excess trash next to the bins
Collections take place between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. If your container has not been emptied, make a request. You can make a request between 6 p.m. on the day of your collection and 6 p.m. the following day.
If you would like to be notified of delays in your sector, sign up for DTRITUS notifications through the mobile app or the Web version. To find out how to sign up for notifications, click here.
Yard waste (dead leaves, garden residues, small branches, etc.) can be placed in the brown bin or in appropriate 80 to 360 litre wheeled bin (any colour other than blue) identified by a “V” (for “vert”).
You can bring your surplus yard waste to our permanent and mobile ecocentres at any time. It's free and unlimited for residents!.
In addition, five special collections of surplus yard waste will be held each year:
For full details regarding special yard waste collections in the fall and spring, see the Yard Waste page.
Gatineau provides a brown bin on wheels and a kitchen bin to every occupied unit included under the compostables collection service. Those bins belong to the municipality.
Lid locks are available for brown bins on wheels at all five service centres or in the libraries.
Bins may be stored outdoors in the side yard or backyard at least one metre from the property line. If you live in a townhouse with no side yard, you may store your bin in the front yard.
If your brown bin is damaged, broken or stolen, call 311 or make a request. Property owners are responsible for paying the cost of repairing or replacing bins that were broken by the owner, a tenant or an occupant of a dwelling.
The owner of or tenant/occupant responsible for the unit must mark the address in the space provided for that purpose on the bin provided by Gatineau. Bins must be kept clean and checked for leakage by the owner of the unit.
If you do not have a bin on wheels, you can order one by making a request. Your brown bin will be delivered to you free of charge, along with a starter kit and instructions (including a kitchen bin).
Brown bins on wheels belong to the municipality.
Food residues, including:
- Animal and vegetable oils and fats (in limited quantities)
- Coffee (grounds and filters)
- Condiments
- Egg and nut shells
- Fruits and vegetables (including seeds and skins)
- Meat and fish (including bones)
- Pet food
- Seafood (including the shells)
- Tea bags
Soiled paper and cardboard, including:
- Egg and pizza cartons
- Newspaper
- Paper plates (unwaxed)
- Paper tissue
- Paper towels
- Parchment paper
Green residues, including:
- Branches under 4 cm in diameter
- Cold wood ashes
- Good or rotten vegetables
- Straw and hay
- Weeds
- Wood chips and sawdust
Other:
- Earth and sand (in limited quantities, without stones, within the maximum brown bin weight of 25 kg)
- Hair, nails, feathers and fur
- Branches and tree trunks over 4 cm in diameter
- Clothes and textiles
- Dead animals
- Diapers
- Household garbage, including Styrofoam and waxed paper
- Household hazardous waste
- Hygienic products
- Invasive plants (including buckthorn, giant hogweed, wild parsnip and poison ivy)
- Large amounts of liquid
- Pet excrement and litter
- Recyclables, including plastic packaging
- Vacuum cleaner dust
When in doubt, consult DTRITUS to find out how to dispose of your items.
- Use certified compostable plastic bags, paper bags or newspaper, or else rinse the bin after every collection with water and a mild detergent or vinegar.
- Only plastic bags certified by the Bureau de normalisation du Québec will be accepted for compostable collections. Look for the following symbols:
- Sprinkle lime or baking soda in the bin to control odours.
- Freeze or refrigerate meat and poultry scraps until collection day.
- Let leaves and grass clippings dry before placing them in the bin to avoid the strong smell of ammonia that they often release.
- Store your bin in the shade, and put it out every week, regardless of how much is in it.
- Keep critters away by spreading menthol cream around your brown bin's lid. Get a latch at the library or the nearest service centre or use an elastic cord to secure the lid.
- In the bin, alternate your table scraps with dry materials (paper towels, newspaper, shavings, wood chips, dead leaves, etc.).
- If you notice maggots, sprinkle them with hot water, salt or a mix of water and vinegar to eliminate them.
- In winter, keep the contents from sticking together by placing newspaper or cardboard on the bottom of the bin. You can also line your brown bin with a large paper bag.
- Is composting mandatory in multi-unit residential buildings?
Yes. Since July 15, 2018, condominium syndicates and residential property owners have been required to provide their occupants or tenants with containers that are sufficiently large to store compostables between collections, based on the number of units. Consult the Multi-unit page.
- I am a tenant, and I do not have access to a brown bin. Whom should I speak to?
Make a request or call 311. Every property owner is required to provide their occupants or tenants with bins that are sufficiently large to store compostables between collections.
- Can I get an additional or a larger brown bin?
Any resident can request a larger brown bin if they generate more than 80 litres a week of food residues, for instance in the case of large families. Municipal staff will conduct an on-site assessment to confirm the need. Submit a request or call 311.
- Can I get an additional kitchen bin?
Gatineau provides one kitchen bin when the brown bin is delivered. Additional ones can be purchased in most big box stores.
- What should I do if my bin is not emptied on collection day?
Leave it at curbside and call 311 or make a request. You can make a request between 6 p.m. on the day of your collection and 6 p.m. the following day.
- Why can't we use ordinary or biodegradable plastic bags?
Those bags are not compostable. That type of plastic interferes with air circulation in the composting process. It hinders the decomposition of compostables and causes foul odours. Also, those bags add to operating costs because they have to be sifted out and removed, and then sent to the landfill site.
- Why can't pet droppings and litter go in the brown bin?
Those materials may contain medication or chemical products that could be detrimental to the quality of the future compost.
- Why can't disposable diapers go in the brown bin?
Because they contain plastic.
- What happens to the materials that are to be composted?
The actual composting is done at the Laflèche Environmental plant in Moose Creek, Ontario.
- Why not accept bags of leaves at compost collection?<
Compost collection is mainly done by robotic truck. Only wheeled bins can be picked up by the truck's mechanical arm. It's impossible for the arm to pick up bags of leaves, which is why special yard waste collections have been added to the collection schedule in spring and fall, when most yard waste is generated.
DTRITUS
