Ottawa's 3-item garbage limit: what to do with the extra

The short version

• Ottawa households with curbside pickup can put out up to three garbage items every two weeks.
• Recycling and the green bin have no limit.
• Extra garbage has to go in a City yellow bag. Furniture and other bulky items can't go in one.
• The Maclaren Neighbourhood Deal is $125 plus tax for up to 2 cubic yards of junk, picked up from your driveway or garage on our route day in your area. It's made for people with just a little bit of junk.

What the three-item garbage limit is

In 2024 the City of Ottawa brought in a three-item limit for curbside garbage. On garbage day, a household can put out up to three garbage items, and garbage is collected every two weeks.

What counts as one item

• A garbage bag
• A bin or container up to 140 litres and under 15 kg (33 lb), with a lid that comes off
• A bulky item, such as a couch, a desk or a mattress

Several small bags inside one container still count as one item, as long as the container stays within the size and weight limit.

What doesn't count

Recycling bins and green bins are not limited. Green bins and leaf and yard waste are picked up every week.

What happens if you put out more

Anything over three items that isn't in a City yellow bag is left at the curb, with a tag explaining why it wasn't picked up.

Source: the City of Ottawa's curbside garbage collection page. Rules can change, so check the City's page for the current details.

Before

After

When three items isn't enough

Most weeks, three items is plenty. It gets tight when something bigger happens:

• You're moving in or moving out
• You finally cleared the garage or the basement
• New furniture arrived and the old pieces have to go
• The bags piled up after the holidays or a big family visit

Bulky items use up the limit fast. An old couch, a mattress and a dresser are all three of your items for that pickup, before you put out a single bag.

Your options for extra garbage in Ottawa

1. Use the green bin and recycling first

The City says more than half of what goes to the landfill belongs in the recycling or the green bin. Food scraps go in the green bin, which is picked up every week. Cardboard boxes go in the recycling, not the garbage. Neither one counts toward your three items.

2. Buy City yellow bags

Garbage over the limit can go out in a City of Ottawa yellow bag. They are sold in packs of four for $17.60, tax included. That was the price on the City's page when we wrote this, and the City reviews it every year. You can buy them at City Client Service Centres and at some community centres and hardware stores. The City's yellow bag page lists the locations.

Yellow bags only work for things that fit in a bag. Furniture and other bulky items can't be bagged, and you can't attach a yellow bag to them.

3. Hold it for the next pickup

If you're only one or two items over, you can keep them and put them out next time. That means storing them for two more weeks.

4. Sell it or give it away

Furniture and household items in good shape can often be sold, given away or donated. This takes some time to arrange, but it keeps good things out of the landfill.

5. Book the Maclaren Neighbourhood Deal

When there's too much for yellow bags, or it's furniture that won't fit in one, we can take it all in one pickup.

The Maclaren Neighbourhood Deal

On a route day we bring the truck to one neighbourhood for the morning and do a run of pickups close together, all at one flat price.

Why it's $125

We built the Neighbourhood Deal to be as cost-friendly as we can make it. Two things keep the price down:

• We pick up from your driveway or garage, not from inside the house.
• All the pickups are in one neighbourhood on the same morning, which saves us gas.

Because we save money, we pass those savings on to our customers.

Who it's for

This deal is for people with just a little bit of junk: a few pieces of furniture, some boxes, the extra bags the City won't take. If you need a full garage or basement cleared out, we definitely do those jobs too. We'd book you in for a regular pickup at a fair price, with a free quote first.

How it works

1. Book your spot. Call 613-371-9900 or send the form below.
2. Leave your junk in the driveway or garage. You don't need to be home.
3. Pay, and it's gone. All jobs are paid before we load, and you can pay online.

Next route day: Old Barrhaven

Saturday, October 17, 2026. There are two pickup windows, 8 to 10 am and 10 am to noon, with six spots in each.

Not in Old Barrhaven? Send the form with your area and ask about the next route day near you. If you can't wait, we also do regular junk removal across Ottawa, with same-day and next-day pickups available and a free quote first.

Yellow bags or the Neighbourhood Deal?

• A few extra bags of household garbage: yellow bags are the cheapest fix.
• Furniture or other bulky items: they can't go in a yellow bag, and each one uses up one of your three items. The Neighbourhood Deal takes them in one go.
• A small pile, up to about a pickup-truck bed: the Neighbourhood Deal clears it in one pickup instead of several garbage days.
• A full garage or basement cleanout, or items inside the house: that's a regular job. Ask us for a free quote and we'll book you in at a fair price.

Common questions