Collections and waste management

What is it?

Garbage is non-recyclable waste that cannot be disposed using the recycling services or collections provided by the City. You can put your garbage in a sealed plastic bag inside the garbage bin. For example, garbage includes: scrap and non-recyclable materials, meat carcasses, fatty cuts of meat, waste of animal, disposable diapers, soiled non-recyclable packaging including toys where batteries have been removed.

Collection

Garbage is picked up Thursdays (except statutory holidays) from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The bin should be put out by the curb after 5:00 p.m. the night before or before 7:00 a.m. the day of the collection. Make sure to take the bin back from the curb the same day before 11:00 p.m.

Prohibited

• Recyclables eligible for selective collection
• Bulky waste
• Construction, renovation and demolition waste (CRD)
• Green residue
• Hazardous domestic waste (HDW)
• Electronic waste (Drop-Off Site at Public Works, 300 Beaurepaire)
• Tires (Drop-Off site at Public Works, 300 Beaurepaire)
• Car parts
• Dead animals (Please notify Public Works 514 428-4500)
• Biomedical waste (ex. needles)

Tips on how to avoid rodent damage to wheeled bins

• Put your bins out for collection Thursday morning before 7 a.m., not the night before
• Always put material in sealed bags in the garbage bin
• Keep the bins clean and use a disinfectant as required
• Where possible, keep your bins in a shed or garage
• If shelter is not available, place bins away from trees and shrubs that provide animals with easy access

Your grey bin isn’t right for your needs?

If your garbage bin is too large or too small for your household’s needs, you have the right to change to a different size, one time only, at the end of the year.

Important guidelines

• Your existing bin must be clean and empty of all waste
• Leave the bin on the outside of your property where it is visible from the street (e.g. in front of the garage)
• Write your address on your new bin as soon as you receive it!

Please fill out the form below and return it to Public Works. If possible, please send the form by email to reduction@beaconsfield.ca.

Deadline to submit the form : October 20, 2023*

* Exchanges will take place on November 3, 10 and 17, 2023.

Download the form

Schedule

From April to November

From April to November, the collection of organic materials will be offered weekly, as follows. You will be able to send discarded green and food residue off for composting.

• South sector of Highway 20: Mondays as of 7 a.m. 
• North sector of Highway 20: Wednesdays as of 7 a.m.

From December to March

From December to March, the collection is offered once a month.

What is green residue?

All organic garden waste, including grass clippings and leaves.

Grasscycling and backyard composting are the best cost-effective options to help reduce material at the source, without the need to transport it to a treatment centre.

Accepted materials

Food (Kitchen) Residue (raw, cooked or spoiled)

• Meat and poultry (including skin, fat and bones)
• Fish and seafood (including shells, skin and bones)
• Dairy products
• Fruits and vegetables
• Bread, pasta, rice and other cereal products
• Coffee grinds and tea bags
• Eggs and shells
• Nuts and shells
• Vegetable oils and fats (small amounts) 
• Herbs, spices, sauces and dressings
• Sweets and snacks
• Meal leftovers (food scraps)
• Corn cobs

Green Residue

• Garden residue (flowers, plants, weeds) 
• Grass clippings and other plants 
• Leaves, twigs, evergreen needles, sawdust, straw 
• Shrub roots and household plants

Other residue material

• Non-waxed paper plates
• Paper (clean or soiled): tissue paper, paper towels, paper napkins, newspapers, muffin liners 
• Compostable plates, bowls, utensils and toothpicks
• Animal food
• Human or animal hair, feathers
• Cold ashes produced by burning untreated wood

Refused materials

• Plastic bags (regular, biodegradable or compostable)
• Recyclable materials
• Household hazardous waste
• Animal feces, used pet litter and pads
• Diapers, incontinence pants, sanitary napkins and tampons, cotton swabs, dental floss
• Fabrics and clothing, shoes
• Dryer lint, dust, wax
• Dead animals (wild or pets)
• Waxed paper or styrofoam
• Wood and ceramic
• Branches
• Cigarette butts
• Chewing gum
• Branches, soil, rocks and sand

Collections

• Green residue must be placed in cardboard boxes, bins (except the blue bin) or paper bags.
• Neither plastic bags or blue bins, nor branches will be collected.
• Warning! Do not put food residue in paper bags or cardboard boxes.
• Food residue MUST be placed in a bin size 40 litres or more, WITH A COMPLETELY CLOSED LID.
• Green and food residue can be mixed together on condition that it is put in a bin with a lid.

To properly manage food residue

The use of paper bags or newspaper is convenient for placing food in the bin used to collect your green residue because the paper:

• absorbs moisture
• minimizes odours
• contains insects that may be present in the organic matter
• prevents residue from sticking to the surface of the bin
• is useful for freezing residue during the hottest months of the year

Use the simple origami technique

The origami or kitchen catcher made with newspaper is an easy and effective way to keep things clean when disposing of your organic matter!

Learn more

Paper bags to use for the collection

Examples of accepted bags:

Paper bag with paper liner

Paper bag with cellulose liner

Examples of refused bags:

Paper bag with compostable liner

Compostable bag

Compostable bag

Smart recycling collection

The advantages are numerous:

• Any problem can be identified in real-time and resolved, possibly, the same day.
• The transponders installed on the bins allow the City to ensure their traceability.
• The flexibility of this system allows us to offer a weekly collection service and not only every two weeks. You can use it according to your needs.
• Thanks to your efforts, you are helping to reduce the cost of the collection service.

Why put the blue bin at the curb only when it is full?

• To reduce GHGs
• To reduce costs

The less frequently you put it out, the more we will save!

We wish to acknowledge the valuable cooperation of all residents. Your help allows us to move forward with this new initiative.

Questions? Write to us at reduction@beaconsfield.ca.

Blue bins

Financed by Éco Entreprises Québec and RecycleMédias, the recycling collection aims to recover containers, packaging and printed material.

Refused

• Hazardous material containers
• Wooden boxes (e.g. clementines)
• Styrofoam
• Corks
• Sharp items
• Wood and construction residue
• Electronic residue
• Bulky items (sofa, household appliances, air conditioner, oven ...)
• Extension cord
• Household hazardous waste (HHW)
• Kitchen residue
• Green residue
• Textiles
• Light bulbs
• Hazardous material containers
• Toys
• Plastic equipment (hose)
• Goods pools (canvas, ladders and pumps)
• Dishes
• PVC items

What to put in your recycling bin?

Flammable products...Not in the blue bin!

These products constitute a real danger for the safety of the employees who work in the sorting centers. Flammable products include in particular:

• Automobile batteries and any other kind of battery;
• Wax for furniture;
• Fuel for fondue;
• Rubbing alcohol;
• Nail polish remover;
• Nail polish;
• Solvent-based glue;
• Ammunition;
• Alkyd paint;
• Solvents;
• Varnish;
• Aerosols;
• Antifreeze;
• Oils for vehicles.

Collection

Recyclables are picked up Thursdays (except statutory holidays) from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The blue bin should be put out by the curb after 5:00 p.m. the night before or before 7:00 a.m. the day of the collection. Make sure to take the bin back from the curb the same day before 11:00 p.m.

Only 120 L, 240 L or 360 L litter cans provided by the City are acceptable. The blue bins are City property.

To facilitate robotic pickup, please make sure:

• Bins are placed within one metre of the curb
• Bin wheels face your house
• There is 60 cm (2’) free on both sides and at the back of the wheeled bin
• All materials are inside (large piece of cardboard should be discarded with construction, renovation and demolition waste)

Getting a new bin

Damaged or missing bin

If your blue bin is damaged, you can get a replacement by calling 514 428-4500 or emailing reduction@beaconsfield.ca.

New residents

Please use the blue bin provided by the City of Beaconsfield. It has a robotic hoisting attachment to facilitate pickups.

No bin or you’ve just moved in? You can ask for a blue bin to be dropped off. Call us at 514 428-4500 or send an email to reduction@beaconsfield.ca.

Remember to write your address with a permanent marker in the space provided on the can.

Moving?

The blue bin is the City of Beaconsfield property. If you move, leave it behind for the next occupant. The bin’s serial number matches its place of delivery.

Recycling of Nespresso coffee capsules

An agreement for the recyling of capsules was concluded between Nespresso and the TIRU sorting center which serves Beaconsfield. In order to recycle these capsules, residents must put them in the green bag provided by Nespresso.

How it works

To recycle capsules, residents must place their used capsules in the green recycling bag provided for this purpose. A bag is included with each online capsule order placed on the Nespresso website. To make sure the capsules can be correctly sorted, it is imperative that they be placed in the bag; capsules place directly in the recycling bin will not be recycled.

Once recycled, the capsules will be sorted at the TIRU sorting center then shipped to the 2M Ressources facility, where the coffee grounds will be separated from the aluminum. These two materials will then be recycled and reused.

For an easy and efficient recycling collection

Pick the right collection

Recyc-Québec has a tool that allows you to find the appropriate collection by material.

Available in both languages, and also as a smart phone application, the “Ça va où ?” (“Where does it go?”).

NEW! You can now recycle your oral care products.

• Oral care products are NOT accepted in the blue bin.
• To ensure these products are recycled, the City has installed a collection box at the entrance to City Hall and at the Recreation Centre.
• This collection box allows you to recycle toothbrushes and heads for electric toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and caps, related packaging, and floss containers.

New recycling centre for the West Island

The Agglomeration of Montreal has opened a new sorting centre for recycled materials in Lachine. It is one of the most efficient in North America, which will greatly improve the quality of the materials sorted, and increase the reuse of materials locally. Collections from Beaconsfield’s blue bins are delivered to this new recycling centre since October 31.

More details*

* French only

What happens to the materials that go to sorting centres in Quebec?

• They are transformed and used in Quebec by a multitude of companies.
• Plastic containers are turned into plastic lumber that can be used to create furniture.
• Paper is turned into recycled fibres that can produce food packaging, tissues, egg cartons, etc.
• Cardboard is turned into packaging (corrugated boxes, containers,paper products, etc.)
• Glass is turned into ecomaterials.
  • Ex: Éco Entreprises Québec has developed markets for recycled abrasives, cement additives, and mineral wool.

What is it?

Composting is a natural process in which organic matter, like leaves, garden waste and kitchen scraps are turned into a valuable fertilizer (compost) for the garden and yard.

This transformation is partly due to microorganisms and worms that break down organic matter into plant nutrients.

Accepted and refused materials

Make sure to mix the following materials:

Green

• Green residue (flowers, weeds, leaves and houseplants)
• Kitchen scraps (fruit and vegetable waste, bread, pasta and legumes)
• Coffee filters and grounds, tea and herbal tea bags

Brown

• Dead leaves
• Twigs, smalls branches and straw
• Wood chips, pellets and saw dust
• Newsprint (black ink only) and cardboard egg cartons

Refused

• Meat, fish and bones.
• Fats and oils, sauces, cheese and dairy products.
• Animal waste.
• Sick plants and leaves

Read our composting guideOrigami kitchen catcher instructions

What are bulky items?

Bulky items are too big to be placed in a bag, box or garbage bin. In order to reduce the quantity of dry materials sent to landfill, these items are sent to a sorting centre for recycling and reuse.

Accepted and refused materials

Accepted materials

Metal

Metal furniture, household appliance (stove, dishwasher, dryer, washing machine, oven, fridge, freezer), BBQ (without gas tank), air-conditioner, dehumidifier, electric devices, lawn mower/snow blower (with empty bag), hot water tank, bathtub, toilet, wheel rims.

Non-metal

Wooden furniture (table, chair, dresser, cabinet, sofa), carpet (rolled up and tied—6’ max.), mattresses, pool liner (rolled up), large pieces of cardboard, large, hard plastic objects (children’s play structures)

Refused

• Household garbage
• Recyclables, except cardboard and large plastic objects
• Hazardous domestic waste
• Green residue, Christmas trees and branches
• Electronic waste
• Tires 

Discarding bulky items

Collection of bulky, construction, renovation and demolition (CRD) material

• North sector of highway 20: the second Wednesday of the month until November inclusive.
• South sector of highway 20: the fourth Wednesday of the month until November inclusive.

Take your bulky items to the curb after 5 p.m. the night before or before 7:00 a.m. on the day of the collection.

Waste material may not be left at the curbside outside authorized hours. See section By-laws, policies relating to the environment and sanitation

• Bulky items must be neatly and safely stacked
• No garbage bags allowed. Place such waste in a container, cardboard box or paper bag
• Small quantities only: 2 m³
• Maximum length :1.8 metres (6 feet) by 1.2 metres (4 feet) by 1 metre (3 feet). 
  • Please note: your bulky items AND construction, renovation and demolition (CRD) waste combined must fit within these dimensions.

Public Works drop-off site

You can always bring your bulky waste to the Public Works drop-off during operating hours.

What is construction, renovation and demolition waste?

Such materials are generated by house or yard renovation and include wood, plaster, tiles and paving stones. Only materials from small-scale renovation work by residents are collected. 

Maximum dimensions are 1.8 m (6’) by 1.2 m (4’). Please note: your bulky items AND construction, renovation and demolition (CRD) waste combined must fit within these dimensions.

Please ensure that all nails are removed.

Accepted and refused materials

Accepted materials

• Wood, palettes, melamine and plywood
• Plaster
• Tiles, concrete, bricks and paving stones (in a container)
• Doors, windows and vinyl siding
• Asphalt shingles
• Hard plastic

Refused

• Sharp objects (to ensure worker safety)
• Household garbage
• Recyclables (except cardboard and large, hard plastics)
• Hazardous domestic waste
• Green residue and Christmas trees
• Electronic waste (Drop-Off site at Public Works, 300 Beaurepaire)
• Tires (Drop-Off site at Public Works, 300 Beaurepaire)

Discarding CRDs?

Bulky and CRD collection

• North sector of highway 20: the second Wednesday of the month until November inclusive.
• South sector of highway 20: the fourth Wednesday of the month until November inclusive.

Take your waste to the curb after 9 p.m. the night before or before 7:00 a.m. on the day of the collection.

CRD must be:

• Separated from regular garbage
• Neatly and safely stacked
• Placed in containers, except large objects that can be picked up by hand
• No stacks
• Less than 25 kg (55 lbs.)
• No garbage bags allowed. Place such waste in a container, cardboard box or paper bag.

Public Works drop-off site

You can always bring your bulky waste to the Public Works drop-off during operating hours.

Contractors

Construction waste produced by contractors is not accepted. Tell your contractor to send the dumpster to a construction, renovation and demolition waste sorting centre.

Every year there are two branch collection periods, one in the spring and another in autumn. The period for spring pick-up starts in April until mid-June. The pick-up in autumn starts in September until the end of October.

Branch collection

There will be two (2) collections in each sector. Follow these rules to ensure a smooth pick-up process:

• Branches must be by the side of the road no later than 7 a.m. the first day of collection in your sector.
• Your branches should be piled on your property, the large ends towards the road. The diameter of the branches must not exceed 15 cm (6 in).
• Once a collection has taken place in a given sector, branches put out too late will not be taken until the next collection, if one is scheduled, or wait until the end of the moratorium, October 1, to bring branches to the Public Works drop-off site.
• During branch collections, we do not pick up roots, stumps, logs, vines, bamboo or branches from a felled tree.
• Under no circumstances should branches be left in the City’s green spaces.

Please note that the branch collection may take, depending on the sector, between 7 and 10 days.

Special pickups

• You can dispose of the items listed in point 4 at Public Works, or you can request a special pickup at any time for a minimum fee of $100.
• If you miss the free branch collection, you can request for branches only a special onsite chipping service for a minimum fee of $60.

In order to comply with the Ministerial Order regarding the EAB, the City will no longer pick up branches of all tree species with the regular garbage collection. Garbage bins must not contain any branches. Bundles of branches placed next to your garbage bin will no longer be collected. These can be disposed of at Public Works or you may request a special pick-up for which there is a minimum fee of $100 after September 30.

At all times, it is forbidden to burn branches, leaves or other green residue outdoors, whether on public or private property (sect. 4.23, BEAC-033 – By-law on nuisances).

Free mulch delivery

Free wood chips delivery to residents during the branch collection period only. It comes from shredded and ground branches. The wood chips can be used in flower beds to retain moisture, reduce watering needs and reduce the presence of weeds and beautifying properties.

Details:

• Make a request to Public Works at travauxpublics@beaconsfield.ca
• Requests will be accepted according to the order they are received until the supply is exhausted

Branch collection spring 2024

Branch collection fall 2024

Every year, the City organizes two hazardous waste collections in the spring and autumn.  Recycle your items at any one of these depots:

Accepted materials

• Paints 
• Used motor oil 
• Batteries 
• Automotive batteries (acid or lead) 
• Cleaning products 
• Drain pipe cleaners 
• Degreasers 
• Turpentine 
• Varsol 
• Fuel 
• Thinner 
• Alcohol 
• Pesticides 
• Pool chemicals 
• Paint stripper 
• Spray cans
• Propane tanks or cylinders 
• Fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent light bulbs

Instructions

• Put your HHW in the back of the vehicle and make sure that the products are well organised (no bulk), in watertight containers and separated from each other. For example, pool chlorine must be kept separate from other products.
• Stay in the vehicle.
• Turn off the vehicle engine and open the boot so that employees can take out the HHW products.
• If there is information that needs to be communicated to employees, pass on the message while still in the vehicle.

Free confidential document shredding days

For residents who wish to safely dispose of personal documents like old tax returns, invoices or bank documents. 

Proof of residency required. Limit of two boxes per address.

• Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, August 17, and Sunday, August 18, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Public Works parking lot - 300 Beaurepaire Drive.

Public Works drop-off site

The City provides residents with a special waste drop-off site, at the back of the Public Works building. Use is limited to residents, who must present proof of residency (driver’s licence or municipal tax bill). Up to five drop-offs (excluding branches) are permitted each year per address.

Permitted

• Bulky waste: furniture, appliances, mattresses, carpets (rolled up and tied)
• Construction, renovation and demolition waste (CRD): wood, plaster, paving stones, concrete, bricks, doors and windows
• Electronic waste, batteries and light bulbs
• Tires from lightweight vehicles without rims and rims without tires
• Branches (October 1 to March 15)
• Logs, stumps and fire wood
• Fallen leaves (from mid-October to mid-December only)
• Plastic #6 (styrofoam)

Refused

• Household garbage, recyclable items, large cardboard
• Hazardous domestic waste (HDW)
• Green residus
• Branches (May 31 to September 1)

Charges

After the five visits, the following charges apply:

• Cars: $15 per drop-off
• Light truck or van: $40 per drop-off
• 'Pickups': $40 minimum (based on estimate)
• Truck with dump box—less than 5 tons: $150 minimum (based on estimate)
• Single axle trailer: $80 minimum (based on estimate)
• Dual axle trailer: $200 minimum (based on estimate)

Location and hours

300 Beaurepaire Drive
Beaconsfield, Quebec  H9W 3C1

• Monday to Friday: 7:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Saturday: open only from April to the end of November, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Special pickup

If you must discard items or materials not eligible for regular pickups or if you missed the free branch pickup, you can request a special pickup from Public Works at 514 428-4500.

An inspector will give you an estimate of the charge. There is a $100 minimum for bulky waste and CRD, and $60 minimum for branches. If you are not home when the inspector comes, s/he will leave the estimate in your mailbox. You must make your payment to City Hall before the pickup will occur.

Electronic products should be thought of as a resource for producing other equipment, rather than as garbage. ICT, information and communications technology equipment, is not picked up in normal garbage collections.

Various options make it easy to recycle or recycle and recover such products:

• Drop your old unit off at a store that will accept it when you buy new equipment
• Donate it to a charity if it’s in good condition
• Drop it off at Public Works - 514 428-4500
• Bring it to the Electronic Products and Household Hazardous Waste Collection

Accepted items at the Public Works drop-off site

• PCs and laptops;
• Cathode ray and fl at screen, LCD or plasma, monitors;
• Peripheral equipment - mice, keyboards, cables, etc.;
• Any brand of printer;
• Scanners and fax machines;
• Radios, sound systems, stereos, etc.;
• All models of television sets;
• DVD, VHS, DC and MP3 players;
• Digital and video cameras;
• Video game consoles;
• Other similar products.

Recycle my electronics with ARPE-Québec

The EPRA-Québec's Recycle My Electronics program will take charge of all electronics brought to the collection and redirect them to companies that are approved and compliant with Canadian standards, to be recycled safely, securely and responsibly.

EPRA-Québec is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization recognized by RECYC-QUÉBEC.

Consult the complete list of acceptable products

How does the automated waste collection system work?

Garbage bins equipped with RFID transponders are distributed to Beaconsfield residents. Three bin sizes are available:

• Mini – 120 litres
• Standard – 240 litres
• Hefty – 360 litres

The RFID transponder affixed to your bin enables the system to link the bin to your address How often you use the collection service will therefore automatically be registered with your home, based on your disposal habits. This approach allows you to manage your bill: the less you throw away, the more you save.

The automated waste collection system will collect waste in a bin that can be lifted mechanically only. Only the new charcoal bin will be collected. Bags or other garbage placed next to the bin will not beaccepted.

What is the smart collection?

The smart collection is based on the “pay as you throw’’ principle and is established according to the size and frequency of collection. The weight of the bin is not relevant.

In fact, the smart collection takes a more equitable, beneficial and logical approach to waste collection than the current rate structure, as it accounts for the efforts you make to reduce the waste you leave out for curbside pick-up. The more you sort by using all other available collections, the slower you’ll fill your garbage bin and the less frequently you’ll need to put out the bin for pick-up.

What are the benefits of automated waste collection and the incentive tariff?

This approach delivers a number of benefits, both for the City of Beaconsfield and its citizens:

Cost control for the City

Automated waste collection is less expensive than the current system, and the savings enable the City to diversify the waste management services it offers citizens.

Cost control for citizens

The tariff system takes into account your actual use of the collection service and the amount of waste you produce. It is therefore more equitable and enables you to control the amount you are charged.

Environmental preservation

It has been demonstrated that a smart collcetion promotes waste reduction and sorting. It has also been shown to change people’s shopping habits. These simple actions add up to a positive and profound impact on the environment.

Who does the program apply to?

The program targets single family residences, which make up 92% of all of the homes in Beaconsfield.

How is this tariff calculated?

The smart collection is calculated based on a fixed tariff plus a variable tariff, as explained below:

Tariff chart

Payment

• The fixed tariff will be charged on your municipal tax bill.
• The variable tariff will be billed at the end of the year at the same time as the water tax.

A system adapted to each family’s situation

There is no good or bad bin size. What’s important are the efforts and actions of each person to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. A family with a 120-litre bin who puts out their garbage for pick-up four times a month will have produced more garbage than someone with a 360-litre bin who puts the garbage out once a month. The frequency of the collection has just as much impact on the environment.

Which bin size is right for my family?

In making your decision, please note the capacity of each bin size:

• Mini – 120 litres : Up to 5 standard kitchen garbage bags
• Standard – 240 litres : Up to 10 standard kitchen garbage bags
• Hefty – 360 litres : Up to 15 standard kitchen garbage bags

Please note that these formats are the same as those currently offered for recycling bins.

Examine your current habits and how you might be able to reduce the amount of waste your household produces. The City of Beaconsfield offers you many complementary collection services to help you do so.

In partnership with