Curbside Garbage Collection

Waste collection and disposal costs are expensive and fill up landfills. Because much of what we send to the landfill is reusable, recyclable, or compostable, it wastes valuable resources and tax dollars. Let’s do our part and waste less!

In this section, we will cover the basic overview of curbside garbage collection. In the dropdowns below, you can find more detailed information.

Basic overview:

Different areas of the Municipality have different collection days. Find your collection day using the Recycle Coach app or web app, or download the collection area map to print.

Every week, each household can place one waste container or bag out for curbside collection without a bag tag (free!). Each additional waste item above the one bag limit requires a bag tag ($2 each). See our section on bag tags below for more information.

Annually, households can put out two containers of garbage without bag tags on three occasions:

The week after Christmas
The week after New Years
The week after Easter

For the safety of our garbage collectors, limits to size and weight of bags and containers apply. While size limits vary depending on type of container, all garbage bags and containers must weigh less than 15 kg (33 lbs). See our section on size and weight limits below for more information.

Contact information

Day-time contact:

Municipality of Mississippi Mills has contracted Topps Environmental Services (TES) to complete curbside garbage collection for 2021 to 2029. For missed collection, questions, and feedback, residents may contact the Mississippi Mills Roads and Public Works Department. Contacting us helps to log cases, identify common issue areas, and collect feedback on resident experience

Roads and Public Works, Ramsay Garage
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays.
Address: 3131 Old Perth Road, Almonte, ON K0A 1A0
Phone: 613-256-2064
Email: PW@mississippimills.ca

After hours contact:

For all after hours curbside garbage collection inquiries, please contact TES directly:

Topps Environmental Services (TES)
Address: 133 White Rd, Carleton Place, ON K7C 0C5
Phone: 613-257-1195
Email: support@toppsenviro.ca

Bag tags

Bag tags can be purchased ($2 each) from:

Municipal Office, 3131 Old Perth Rd., Almonte
ACE Country & Garden Almonte, 5736 County Road 29, Almonte (cash only)
Clayton General Store, 2862 Tatlock Rd., Clayton
Nicholson's Sundries, 2529 County Road 29, Pakenham

While bag tag colours differ from year to year, all colours remain valid for use.

New residents receive 10 bag tags for free with their welcome package when they visit the Municipal Office.

For large amounts of waste, all residents also receive two free dump passes (valid for 250 kg of waste each) every year, valid for use at the Beckwith Transfer Station. New residents will have dump passes issued with their welcome package. For more information, visit our Waste and Recycle Depot page.

When to place items on the curbside

Per the Waste Management and Collection By-law (14-33), items may be placed on the curbside after 6 p.m. of the day before collection, and must be placed there by 7 a.m. on the day of collection to guarantee collection.

At 7 a.m., collectors begin their specified collection routes. While your collection time could appear consistent week to week, it is still important to place your items on the curbside by 7 a.m. to account for any possible route changes. Many different factors, such as new drivers, weather, road closures, and vehicle breakdowns could mean collectors arriving at your address earlier than you expected. If items are not curbside by 7 a.m., the Municipality cannot guarantee that your items will be collected.

Residents must remove empty containers and refused items by 9 p.m. on the day of collection.

Limitations - size and weight

Each waste item cannot exceed 15 kg (33 lbs). The size of the item, however, varies depending on the type of item. See table below for a description of the different types of waste items accepted:

Waste Type	Container Type	Description and Maximum Size	Maximum Weight
Household Waste (Type 1)	Garbage Container	Metal or plastic with exterior handles manufactured for waste disposal. Maximum dimensions: Height: 90 cm (35 inches) Widths: 46 cm (18 inches)	15 kg (33 lbs)* *Weight includes the weight of the container itself.
Household Waste (Type 1)	Garbage Bag	Plastic bags being of sufficient strength. Maximum dimensions: Height: 83 cm (33 inches) Widths: 66 cm (26 inches)	15 kg (33 lbs)
Recyclable Fibres (Type 2) and Recyclable Containers (Type 3)	Recycling bin	Plastic bin. Maximum dimensions: Height: 30 cm (12 inches) Width: 43 cm (17 inches) Length: 56 cm (22 inches)	15 kg (33 lbs)
Type 2 - Recyclable Fibres	Bundle	Bundle of recyclable fibres (such as cardboard) securely tied. Maximum dimensions: Height: 15 cm (6 inches) Width: 76 cm (30 inches) Length: 76 cm (30 inches)	15 kg (33 lbs)
Type 6 - Leaf and Yard Waste	Bundle	Bundle of yard waste (such as branches) securely tied. Maximum dimensions: Height: 15 cm (6 inches) Width: 15 cm (6 inches) Length: 76 cm (30 inches)	15 kg (33 lbs)
Type 6 - Leaf and Yard Waste	Yard waste bag	Biodegradable paper bag. Maximum dimensions: Height: 90 cm (35 inches) Width: 43 cm (17 Inches)	15 kg (33 lbs)

Download table as PDF to print.

Limitations - items not accepted in curbside garbage collection

Use the Recycle Coach app or web app to find out where prohibited items should be taken for disposal.

The Municipality does not accept the following items in curbside garbage collection:

Recyclables (place these items in your blue or yellow bins)
- Cans, most plastics, boxboard, egg cartons, brown paper bags, phone books, magazines, catalogues, flyers, clothing, newspaper, glass, corrugated cardboard, and so on.
Animal carcasses and animal waste
Large construction materials resulting from building and building alterations
Hazardous waste (take these items to the Hazardous Waste Depot)
- Infectious biomedical waste
- Auto parts and bodies, lead acid batteries
- Explosive, combustible materials and paint cans
- Radioactive waste
- Any other materials defined by the Ministry of Environment or Environment Canada as hazardous waste.
Stones, earth, stumps, etc.
Leaf and yard waste material (except on scheduled collection days for Leaf and yard waste. Otherwise, this type of wase can be brought to our recycling depots to be disposed of for free).
Iron, steel or other scrap metals (this type of wase can be brought to our recycling depots to be disposed of for free).
Tires (this type of wase can be brought to our recycling depots to be disposed of for free).
Liquid waste
White goods such as refrigerators
Any large items
- Couch, chair, TV, and so on. Consider donating useable items.

Limitations - waste collector actions

For the health and safety of the waste collectors, collectors will not:

Drive on or enter private property.
Cross the street to pick up waste on both sides of the street, unless the street has a dead-end.
Make unnecessary left turns.
- Routes are designed to turn right as much as possible to reduce the potential of collisions and improve route efficiency. However, this means that the left-side of streets may be collected significantly later in the day.
Put the vehicle in reverse, as much as possible.
Enter areas with low-hanging wires that may come in contact with the vehicle.
Collect waste that exceed the weight or size limitations of waste items.

Under Provincial law, waste collectors have a right to a safe workplace. If collecting your waste poses a hazard, your waste will not be collected.

Report a Concern

If you have a concern with your curbside pickup, or any other matter for waste and recycling, please fill out the form on the Report a Concern webpage. A staff member of our Roads and Public Works Department will get back to you.

Other useful information

NEW: Solid Waste Management Strategy (2024) - MM2048

As part of MM2048, an initiative started in 2023 to plan for major growth over the next 25 years, the Municipality developed a new Solid Waste Management Strategy. This new plan was important to develop because the waste management landscape had drastically changed over the last few years: Recycling is now managed by the Province; the population of Mississippi Mills (and thus the amount of waste produced) had grown significantly; and legislative changes towards strengthening a circular economy.

The new strategy has assessed the state of Municipality's waste management system, evaluating future needs and opportunities for improvement. This included recommendations to complete an Organics Program Review and a Centralized Recycling Depot Review.

View/download the Solid Waste Management Strategy (2024) as PDF

Visit the Solid Waste Management Strategy community engagement page (now closed) to see how the strategy was developed.

Solid Waste Management Strategy (2012)

In the fall of 2011, the Municipality of Mississippi Mills retained EXP SERVICES INC. to review the Municipality's waste and recycling programs, and consult the community on ways to improve services, address the needs of growth, and otherwise increase the performance of the town's waste diversion programs. In May of 2012, Council approved the final Solid Waste Management Strategy report, which set out a series of goals and objectives for the community over the next 20 years.

View/download the Solid Waste Management Strategy (2012) as PDF