Get details about organic material collections

Last updated November 4, 2024

Collection schedules, accepted materials, materials that are not accepted and types of bins that are allowed. Find out how to put out kitchen scraps for collection and composting.

Only four boroughs offer an organic waste collection: Lachine, L’Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève, Pierrefonds-Roxboro et Saint-Laurent. 

The other 15 boroughs have two separate collections: the food waste collection and the green waste collection.

What is organic waste?

Organic waste includes food waste (table and kitchen scraps), paper and cardboard with stains from food or water and green waste (dead leaves, grass clippings and other plants).

Unfortunately, these materials are often thrown away and sent to a landfill. Landfilled organic waste generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

If an organic waste collection is offered in your area, you must participate. You will help reduce waste and preserve the environment.

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Collection schedule

Buildings of 8 or fewer dwellings

To find out when you should put out organic waste for pickup, visit Info-Collectes.

Buildings of 9 or more dwellings

As of November 1, 2022, the organic waste collection is being offered on a voluntary basis.

Even if you don’t have a brown bin yet, you can place your green waste and food waste in authorized containers (please see the list below) and put them out depending on the schedule listed on Info-Collectes.

Brown bins will be distributed from 2023 to 2024. In the meantime, you can request a brown bin yourself.

Compost distribution

Part of the compost produced is distributed free of charge to residents once a year, in May.

Acceptable materials in the brown bin

See the list

Green waste

You can also add the following material in your brown bin:

  • Dead leaves
  • Debris from stubble plowing
  • Debris from fruit and vegetable gardening
  • Debris from pruning, branches, twig chips
  • Evergreen (including hedges and cedar) and deciduous tree branches with a maximum diameter of 5 cm (2 in) fastened with fiber rope in 1 m (3.3 ft) bundles with a maximum diameter of 50 cm (20 in) or placed in acceptable containers
  • Garden waste
  • Lawn clippings 

Acceptable containers

  • 47-litre brown bin
  • 80-litre brown bin
  • 120-litre brown bin
  • 240-litre brown bin
  • Compostable paper bags
  • For excess green waste: Use paper bags, cardboard boxes or rigid containers, placed to the side

Legislation

This service is not offered in this borough.

This service is not offered in this borough.

This service is not offered in this borough.

Collection schedule

Buildings of 8 or fewer dwellings

To find out when you should put out organic waste for pickup, visit Info-Collectes.

Buildings of 9 or more dwellings

The organic waste collection is not offered to residents of these buildings. However, organic waste is accepted as part of the household waste collection (table scraps) and green waste collection (plants).

Compost distribution

Part of the compost produced is offered free of charge to residents once a year, in spring. See the montreal.ca news section to learn more.

Acceptable materials in the brown bin

See the list

Green waste

You can also add the following material in your brown bin:

  • Evergreen (including hedges and cedar) and deciduous tree branches with a maximum diameter of 5 cm (2 in) not fastened in 1 m (3.3 ft) long bundles with a maximum diameter of 50 cm (20 in) and a maximum weight of 25 kg
  • Dead leaves
  • Debris from stubble plowing
  • Debris from fruit and vegetable gardening
  • Debris from pruning, branches, twig chips
  • Garden waste
  • Lawn clippings

Acceptable containers

  • 80-litre brown bin
  • 120-litre brown bin
  • 240-litre brown bin
  • 720-litre brown bin (industrial and commercial facilities only)
  • Compostable paper bags
  • For excess green waste: Use paper bags, cardboard boxes or rigid containers, placed to the side

Legislation

This service is not offered in this borough.

This service is not offered in this borough.

This service is not offered in this borough.

Collection schedule

To find out when you should put out organic waste for pickup, visit Info-Collectes.

All categories of dwellings, schools, organizations, businesses and companies have access to the collection.

Large size branches

For large size branches and trunks, Pierrefonds-Roxboro conducts 2 door-to-door collections per year, one in the spring and one in the fall.

Compost distribution

Part of the compost produced is distributed free of charge to residents once a year during the Gardening Day in the springtime.

Acceptable materials in the brown bin

See the list

Green waste

You can also add the following material in your brown bin:

  • Dead leaves
  • Debris from stubble plowing
  • Debris from fruit and vegetable gardening
  • Debris from pruning, branches, twig chips
  • Evergreen (including hedges and cedar) and deciduous tree branches with a maximum diameter of 5 cm (2 in) fastened with fiber rope in 1 m (3.3 ft) bundles with a maximum diameter of 50 cm (20 in) or placed in acceptable containers
  • Garden waste
  • Lawn clippings 

Acceptable containers

  • 80-litre brown bin
  • 120-litre brown bin
  • 240-litre brown bin
  • 720-litre brown bin (industrial and commercial facilities only)
  • Compostable paper bags

For excess green waste: Use paper bags, cardboard boxes or rigid containers, placed to the side

You can exchange your bin for one in a different size by contacting the Pierrefonds-Roxboro éco-quartier.

Legislation

This service is not offered in this borough.

This service is not offered in this borough.

Collection schedule

Buildings of 8 or fewer dwellings

To find out when you should put out organic waste for pickup, visit Info-Collectes.

Buildings of 9 or more dwellings

Buildings with nine to twenty dwellings have food waste collection.

The rollout is being extended to all buildings with more than 20 units until 2025. Even if you have not yet received your brown bin, you can put your green waste in compostable paper bags on the organic material collection day listed for your address in Info-Collectes.

However, please continue to put your table scraps in your regular garbage can.

Compost distribution

Part of the compost produced is distributed free of charge to residents twice a year, in spring and fall. See the montreal.ca news section to learn more.

Acceptable materials in the brown bin

See the list

Green waste

You can also add the following material in your brown bin:

  • Dead leaves
  • Debris from stubble plowing
  • Debris from fruit and vegetable gardening
  • Debris from pruning, branches, twig chips
  • Evergreen (including hedges and cedar) and deciduous tree branches with a maximum diameter of 5 cm (2 in) fastened with fiber rope in 1 m (3.3 ft) bundles with a maximum diameter of 50 cm (20 in) or placed in acceptable containers
  • Garden waste
  • Lawn clippings 

Acceptable containers

  • 80-litre brown bin
  • 120-litre brown bin
  • 240-litre brown bin
  • 720-litre brown bin (industrial and commercial facilities only)
  • Compostable paper bags
  • For excess green waste: Use paper bags, cardboard boxes or rigid containers, placed to the side

Legislation

This service is not offered in this borough.

This service is not offered in this borough.

This service is not offered in this borough.

This service is not offered in this borough.