Recyclables are collected every two weeks for units with curbside collection, and once a week for multi-unit residential buildings with a container loading area.

Place your blue bin 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.

Robotized collection

From now on, your bins will be emptied by a truck with a robotic arm (certain exceptions apply).

Accepted collection methods

Refused collection methods

* If you generate more recyclables than your blue bin can hold, call 311 to request another free blue bin.

** What is the difference between a European model and an American model bin?

Reporting a missed collection

Receiving notifications of delays

Recyclables will continue to be accepted every two weeks in blue bins or in the permanent and mobile ecocentres. If you generate more recyclables than will fit into your blue bin, you can get another one for free by simply calling 311.

There will be two special collections every year for occasional recyclable surpluses:

• After January 1
• After July 1

Download the DTRITUS app or check its online version for your collection dates.

Accepted collection methods

Instructions

Gatineau provides a blue bin on wheels or a container to every residential unit for recyclables. Those bins belong to the municipality.

Bin storage

Blue bin repair or replacement

Bin maintenance

Ordering bins and containers

Accepted

Not accepted

When in doubt, consult DTRITUS to find out how to dispose of your items.

• Empty and lightly rinse out containers
• Undo and fold cardboard boxes so they take up less space.
• Crush aluminum sheets into compact balls, even when lightly used, before placing them in the bin.
• Remove lids from jars and containers – except for small caps.
• Protective polystyrene packaging (ex: styrofoam TV packaging) and aerosol must be brought to the ecocentre so they can be properly recycled.

• I am a tenant, and I do not have access to a blue bin. Whom should I speak to?
  Make a request or call 311. Property owners are required to provide their occupants or tenants with containers large enough to hold recyclables between collections.
• 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.
• Can I get an additional blue bin?
  Yes, residents can receive a second free blue bin upon request if so justified by the volume of recyclables they generate. Submit a request or call 311 to request one.
• What happens to the materials that are to be recycled?
  They are sorted at the Tricentris sorting centre at 45 rue Pierre-Ménard in Gatineau. This is where the items are sorted by machines and humans before being baled and sold to packaging and recycling companies, where the material is either transformed or revalorized. It is either returned to its original form, or becomes a completely different product. In 2023, nearly 70% of the materials collected in blue bins are recycled right here in Quebec.
• Why did the accepted materials change in 2025?
  Since January 1, 2025, recyclable materials have become the responsibility of a designated organization: Éco Entreprise Québec (ÉEQ), which is tasked with managing them. ÉEQ has standardized the materials accepted in the blue bin across Quebec. From now on, no matter which city you're in, the message is the same: containers, packaging, and printed materials go in the blue bin – that's it. This is why foam trays and chip bags are now accepted in the blue bin.