Ville de Gatineau
Recyclables (blue bin)
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Recyclables (blue bin)
Recyclables (blue bin)

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Collection

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 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. The wheels should be facing away from the street, towards your building. Place your bin on your driveway or on your property, not on the street or sidewalk, to avoid interfering with snow clearing operations. Bins and containers must be removed from the curb no later than 9 p.m. on collection day, as per municipal by-law.

Reporting a missed collection

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 your collection is on a Friday, you have until noon on Saturday to make your request.

Receiving notifications of delays

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.

Blue bins

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

If you do not have a blue bin, you can order one by making a request. It will be delivered to you free of charge, along with a starter kit and instructions.

Accepted containers for surplus recyclables

For units with blue bins, surplus recyclables can be placed in smaller 64 litre (green or blue) recycling bins, cardboard boxes, transparent plastic bags or garbage cans (on wheels or with handles) clearly marked with an R (for “recycling”).

Bin storage

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.

Blue bin repair or replacement

If your blue bin on wheels 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.

Bin maintenance

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.

Ordering bins and containers

If you do not have a blue bin, you can order one by making a request. It will be delivered to you free of charge, along with a starter kit and instructions.

Apartment buildings with off-street collection can obtain containers for recyclables by making a request.

Blue bins on wheels and containers provided by Gatineau are municipal property.

Accepted and not accepted in recycling bins

In brief: paper, cardboard, plastic, metal and glass containers, packaging and print material can be placed in the blue bins.

Accepted

Paper and cardboard, including:

  • Books
  • Cardboard boxes and rolls
  • Flyers, newspapers and magazines
  • Multi-layer containers, such as milk cartons, juice cartons, broth cartons, soup cartons and others

Plastic, including:

  • Bags and wrapping
  • Caps and lids
  • Containers identified by any number other than 6
  • Water, juice, detergent, etc. bottles

Metal, including:

  • Aluminium bottles and cans
  • Aluminium foil (even if soiled)
  • Cans
  • Caps and lids

Glass, including:

  • Jars, containers, etc.
  • Wine, juice, soda bottles, etc.

Not accepted

  • Clothing and textiles
  • Construction materials (wood, ceramic, mineral wool)
  • Dishes (ceramic, melamine, porcelain or glass)
  • Electronics
  • Flat glass (mirrors, windows)
  • Household hazardous waste (batteries, paint)
  • Laminated packaging (chip bags, cereal bar packaging, etc.)
  • Plastic items not identified by a number
  • Styrofoam and number 6 plastic containers
  • Soiled paper or cardboard
  • Toys

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

Useful tips

  • Empty containers. It is not necessary to rinse them.
  • For easier sorting, place shredded paper in a transparent plastic bag. Do the same with bags and packaging wrap (a bag of bags). All other materials should be left loose in the blue bin.
  • Remove caps and lids from containers.
  • Do not tie together paper, cardboards and containers, and do not place them in a plastic bag.
  • Remove clips, staples, adhesive tape and plastic rings.
  • Flatten cardboard boxes for more space.

Frequently asked questions

  • 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. If your collection is on a Friday, you have until noon on Saturday to make your request.
  • Can I get an additional blue bin?
    You can place your surplus recyclables in 64 litre (green or blue) recycling bins, transparent plastic bags, cardboard boxes or garbage cans marked with an R (for “recycling”).

    If you would still like a second bin, you can ask for one by making a request or calling 311. Your request will be reviewed by the Service de l'environnement.

    You can also bring your surplus recyclables to the ecocentres.
  • 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, and then bundled up and sold to the highest bidder, which could be a Canadian or a foreign company.

DTRITUS

     

About Gatineau

Recognized for its quality of life, Gatineau is a city of 292,000 inhabitants. It is located on the north shore of the Ottawa River, and extends east and west of the Gatineau River.

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