Garbage & Recycling

In order to take advantage of the curbside garbage collection service, residents and businesses must meet the collection standards and limits as set out in the waste management by-law. These include:

• Residential bag limit of 2
• Commercial bag limit of 4
• Bags or bins must not exceed 50 lbs or 67 liter capacity.
• Garbage must be placed at the curb on the correct collection day, no later than 7 a.m. on the scheduled collection day or the night before after 6 p.m.
• All garbage waste must be securely bagged, loose items will not be collected.
• Waste should be free of hazardous wastes including sharps, chemicals, highly combustible material and construction material.
• Owners and tenants remain responsible for the waste they place curbside until it is collected. Should materials be strewn for any reason the property owner or tenant is responsible for cleaning up the material.
• Emptied garbage and recycling containers are to be removed from the street by dusk on the day of collection.

The Town of Renfrew does not have a large item collection program. Large items must be taken to the Renfrew Landfill, tipping fees may apply.

Additional Garbage Tags can be purchased for $3.00 a tag at the following locations;

• Town Hall
• Landfill Site
• Renfrew Library

Tags must be placed in a visible location on the bag and cannot be placed directly on an individual item. Only garbage contained within a garbage bag or garbage container will be collected. 

Curbside recycling collection rotates weekly between Co-mingled (plastic, metal and glass) and Fibre (paper and cardboard) collection. Please ensure your blue bin with the appropriate recyclable material is curbside by 7:00am on your regular scheduled day. ONLY the designaged material for that week will be collected. Please DO NOT place recycable material in clear plastic bags (with the exception of fine shredded paper). 

In order to take advantage of the curbside recycling collection service residents and businesses must meet the collection standards and limits as set out in the waste management by-law. These include:

• Commercial, Industrial and Institutional box limit of 8 and limit of 2 bags of shredded paper. There is no recycling limit for residential properties provided that all material originated from that property.
• Recycling shall be placed curbside in an Approved Recycling Container:
  • Approved recycling containers shall include “blue boxes”, standard clear boxes, corrugated cardboard boxes that are capable of easily being emptied into the collection vehicle or any other container that is easily carried and is capable of easily being emptied into the collection vehicle.
  • Recycling containers size shall be no greater than (24” x 16” x 14”) and when filled does not weigh more than 23 kg (50 lbs.).
  • Recycling containers shall be sufficent to contain all material (i.e. containers must not be overfilled).
  • Recycling containers must be not leak or be capable of being deteriorated from rain or snow.
  • Clear Plastic bags are NOT to be used for any material other than fine shredded paper.
• Cardboard must be broken down flat. Cardboard can be placed loose in a blue bin or bundled inside small cardboard box or bound with string. Cardboard will not be collected if it is placed curbside loose. Oversized cardboard and bundled cardboard must be sized down such that it is easily handled by a single person and can easily fit into the collection vehicle. Cardboard bundles weighing no more than 50 lbs with dimensions no greater than 24” by 24" by 12” are acceptable for all types of collection vehicles used in the Town of Renfrew.
• Recyclable material must be clean and sorted. Containers, bottles, cans etc. should be emptied and washed prior to them being put into the blue bin. Blue bins should be free of non-recyclable material (see list below).
• Recycling should be free of hazardous wastes including broken glass, light bulbs, pressurized containers (including aerosols that have not been emptied), and paint cans with liquid or caked on dried paint.
• Recycling must be placed at the curb on the correct collection day, no later than 7 a.m. on scheduled collection day or the night before after 6 p.m.
• Emptied recycling containers are to be removed from the street by dusk on the day of collection.
• Owners and tenants remain responsible for the recycling they place curbside until it is collected. Should materials be strewn for any reason the property owner or tenant is responsible for cleaning up the material.

Recycling must be sorted into 2 catergories as follows:

Fibre Recycling (no milk or juice cartons)

• Newspapers, magazines, catalogues, flyers, brown paper bags, paper backed books
• Boxboard/ Paperboard: cereal boxes, tissue boxes, paper egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls
• Paper: loose or shredded, white or colour with no decorative additons (e.g., foil, sparkles)
• Cardboard (note food soiled cardboard is not recyclable)

Co-mingled Container Recycling

• Glass - clear or coloured glass food and beverage bottles, jars - MUST BE cleaned and rinsed
• Cartons: Milk and juice cartons and tetra packs
• Plastic: Type #1 to 7 food and beverage containers, tubs and lids
• Metal: Tin and Aluminum cans, foil, empty aerosol cans and open & empty fully metal paint cans (no caked on paint, no plastic bottoms)

Please be advised, the following items are NOT accepted;

• Plastic film (grocery and shopping bags, outer wrap from cases of water, toilet paper and paper towels).
• Styrofoam.
• Used tissues, napkins & paper towels.
• Food soiled cardboard.
• Ceramics, glassware and housewares.
• Flower pots, and other molded plastic.
• Household plastic storage containers (e.g. Rubbermaid, Tupperware).
• Oil and windshield fluid containers.
• Hard cover books, napkins, paper towel and food soiled cardboard.
• Metal wires, cables, clothing hangars and pressurized containers.
• Mirrors and light bulbs.

Starting July 28, 2023, the Town of Renfrew’s residential bluebox recycling program will be managed by Circular Materials, a not-for-profit producer responsibility organization committed to building efficient and effective recycling systems to minimize waste and ensure materials are reused again and again. This transition will result in no change to the material you can recycle or your current recycling schedule. More information will be provided in the coming months.

Cost: $10.00 per box while supplies last

Available from the following Locations:

• Town Hall (127 Raglan St. S.)
• Renfrew Landfill Site (376 Bruce St)

Residents may also use standard recycling bins form other municipalities or purchase bins from a commercial retailer (e.g., hardware store) provided that the bin meet the standards set out in the Waste Management By-law as discussed in the recycling section of this web page.

Backyard Composting:

If you have the outdoor space, consider creating a backyard composting area. By composting, you convert organic waste into a reusable byproduct which is an effective way to recycle, feed plants, and save money!

Because choosing the right bin is different for every resident, the Town of Renfrew offers a one time composter credit of $30.00 per property, for Town of Renfrew residents who purchase and install a backyard composter.

Please submit proof of purchase, along with proof of residency to the Development & Works Department at 127 Raglan Street South, or by emailing dw@renfrew.ca.

In-Home Food Waste Diversion PILOT PROGRAM:

In 2022 the Town of Renfrew initiated a pilot study to investigate feasibility of residential in-home composting using the Food Cycler appliance. During the initial pilot study 100 residents purchased and used the FC-30 Food Cycler for 12 weeks, then completed a survey about their experience. Results were generally positive and based on the data collected the participants will divert 17 tons of food waste from the landfill a year.  The Town is looking to build on this success by expanding the program in 2023. Participants must be Renfrew residents and proof of residency will be required. Interested residents can register by contacting  Renfrew Waste Management at 613-432-8166x307 or emailing aspringer@renfrew.ca. The expansion of the program is subject to council approval based on community intrest. 

The cost of the 2.5L FC-30 FoodCycler is $175.00+HST and the cost of the larger 5L Maestro Food Cycler is $300+HST per unit for participating households/residents. 

Pilot Program FAQ

FoodCycler FAQ

www.foodcycler.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di36wQZB9q4

Renfrew residents may dispose of their leaves/grass free of charge, year-round at the Renfrew Landfill Site. All bags/containers must be emptied at the designated area. Bags/containers must be free of paper, plastic and other refuse when emptied at the designated area.

A curbside leaf and yard waste removal service is provided 3 times in the spring and fall each year (see the Waste Management Collection Calendar for specific weeks). The number of leaf and yard waste items put out for collection shall be unlimited during the leaf and yard waste collection periods.  Place your leaf and yard waste at the curb in a different area, other than your normal place for regular household waste for removal. Paper bags and bundles must be curbside before 7:00am Tuesday on the week of collection. If placed curbside AFTER Tuesday morning, collection may not be guaranteed.

Approved Leaf and Yard Waste Containers and Sizing:

• Paper bags and bound bundles that are capable of being easily placed into the collection vehicle and satisfies the size, weight and any other requirements set out in this section. 
• Plastic bags and/or Biodegradable plastic bags will not be accepted. Items placed in a bin will not be collected.
• Individual leaf and yard waste containers must not exceed 23 kg (50 lbs.).
• Individual branches must not exceed 25 mm (1 inch) in diameter.
• Bundled brush and twigs must not exceed 1.5 m (5 feet) in length and 0.6 m (2 feet) in diameter.
• Leaf and Yard waste cannot be mixed with any household waste including flower pots, weed barrier fabric or plastic film.

Leaf and yard waste containers must be placed in such a manner that they are not damaged or deteriorated from rain or snow to such an extent that they cannot be loaded into the collection vehicle.

Christmas Trees are NOT to be placed curbside for collection. Residents are kindly requested to bring their Christmas Trees to the LANDFILL SITE where trees can be deposited in a designated area.There will be NO disposal charge for Christmas Trees provided they are not bagged or wrapped and all decorations have been removed.

Electronic devices are composed of reusable materials like plastic and precious metals that can be recycled and put back into manufacturing. Not all products that use electricity are considered e-waste. E-waste accepted at the Renfrew Landfill include:

• Televisions
• Computers and monitors
• Computer accessories (mice, keyboards, routers, external hard drives, chargers, cables)
• Printers and printer cartridges
• Phones (wired and wireless) and pagers
• Home theater systems
• Cameras and Security Cameras
• Video Game Systems
• Drones
• Vehicle Audio/Video Systems (aftermarket)
• Portable Audio/Video Systems (e.g. Walkman, Mp3)
• Musical Instruments and recording equipment
• IT and Telecom equipment (e.g. servers, microfilm readers, binding machines, postage and franking machines, check filler machines

E-waste collected at the Town of Renfrew Landfill is recycled by the Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA). Form more information about electronics recycling visit https://recyclemyelectronics.ca/on/

The Household Hazardous Waste Depot is open for the season and will is accepting material. The Depot will close for the season on Saturday August 26, 2023 and material will not be accepted after this date. The depot operates during the same hours as the Landfill Site (see Landfill Site section below).

The following items are accepted at the Household Hazardous Waste Depot:

• Paints: All Types of Paint, Stains, Varnish, spray paint, etc.
• Solvents: Turpentine, Disinfectants, Household Cleaners, Bleach, Oven And Drain Cleaners, Furniture Stripper, Ammonia, etc.
• Herbicides, Pesticides and Insecticides, Weed Killer, etc.
• Pool cleaners
• Propane Tanks
• Batteries: Small Standard, Button, Small Tool, Car and Boat Batteries.
• Automotive Fluids: Used Oil, Brake Fluid, Gasoline, Anti-Freeze, etc. 
• Oil filters
• Oil containers (empty or containing oil)
• Light Bulbs and Tubes (all types except PCB ballasts)
• Fire Extinguishers
• Aerosols
• Non-refillable pressurized containers: Acetylene, Refrigerant, Propane, Helium, & CO₂ cylinders.
• Pharmaceuticals/Medication (No needles)
• Mercury Bulb Thermostats and Switches

Materials containing Asbestos, PCBs, radioactive waste, pathological waste or explosives (including ammunition) are not accepted at the Depot. All accepted products must be in their original containers. Any liquid product must be in containers no greater than 5 gallons (19 liters). Household Hazardous waste should not be thrown in the garbage or poured down sewers and drains.

During the summer season, this depot can be used FREE OF CHARGE by residents of the following municipalities:  Addington Highlands Township, Town of Arnprior, Admaston Bromley Township, Horton Township, Greater Madawaska Township, McNab Braeside Township, the Town of Renfrew and Township of Whitewater Region.  For further information contact the Renfrew Landfill at 613-432-0731, 376 Bruce Street, Renfrew, ON.

Note: small standard household, button, and small tool batteries are accepted at the Renfrew Landfill, Renfrew Town Hall, and Renfrew Library year-round.

The Renfrew Landfill site is located at 376 Bruce Street. 

Only waste generated in the Town of Renfrew will be accepted at this site with the exception of Household hazardous waste as described in that section of this webpage. Third parties hauling waste from a property in the Town of Renfrew to the landfill must complete a Declaration of Haulage form (available in the downloads section below). The form must be signed by the property owner and the third party waste hauler.

Waste transported to the landfill must be sorted. Review the Landfill Fees and Charges document found in the downloads section below for more information regarding material and waste sorting classifications. The site does not accept liquid waste, hazardous waste or asbestos. Contaminated soil must be pre-approved with applicable TCLP sample results provided. 

The Renfrew Landfill is closed on all Statutory Holidays. For 2023 these include Saturday July 1, 2023 (Canada Day), Saturday September 30, 2023 (Truth & Reconciliation Day), Saturday November 11, 2023 (Remembrance Day) and Tuesday December 26, 2023 (Boxing Day). Additionally the landfill will be closed on Thursday June 1, 2023 for staff training.