Ottawa’s new curbside trash rules will allow residents to count a 140-litre recycling bin as one item, no matter how much trash it contains, but bins that size aren’t easy to find.

The changes will take effect on September 30, and residents will be allowed to place any three items at the curb, including a large trash bag, a bulky item like furniture, or a 140-litre bin.

Under Ottawa’s new curbside trash rules, residents can throw away a combination of three items: a large trash bag, a bulky item like furniture, or a 140-litre bin.

“The volume and weight limits for 140-litre bins have been in place for more than a decade and have not been changed by this policy. The 140-liter standard allows for some flexibility depending on market availability,” says Nicole Hoover-Bienash, the city’s long-range planning program manager.

The new changes will allow the city to extend the life of its waste sites, and while things will remain the same for now, it means residents will have to think twice about what they throw away.

Yuri Natchetoy