In short
- One City drop-off remains on the 2026 calendar: Saturday November 7, Westbrook Snow Dump, residents only.
- Containers over 20 litres are refused, and a load over 100 litres is refused.
- Paint, batteries and light bulbs can also go back to retailers every day, found through the City's Waste Explorer.
- Lithium and e-bike batteries must never go in garbage, recycling or green bin; cover the terminals with tape.
- Hauler lists charge $5–$25 per piece for paint and propane where they take them, and one bin rental refuses both.
Typical prices in Ottawa
| Job | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Paint can | $5–$10 | Per can where a hauler takes it; two Ottawa firms’ lists |
| Propane tank | $15–$25 | Per tank, same lists |
| Fluorescent tube · car battery | $5 · $10 | One firm’s per-piece fees |
| Tires at the Trail Road landfill | Free | Up to 10 passenger or light truck tires a day |
Sources. Seen 29.10.2026. City of Ottawa: Household hazardous waste; Special items; Rates for the Trail Waste Facility Landfill. Hauler lists: Mighty Mouse, pricing guide; JunkPal, pricing and items it cannot accept; Junk That Funk, bin rental.
What counts as household hazardous waste
The City of Ottawa defines it by the label: if a product is corrosive, flammable or poisonous, it is hazardous. Its list includes aerosol containers, light bulbs and tubes, disinfectants, fertilizers and pesticides, fire extinguishers, gasoline, mercury switches and thermometers, motor oil and oil filters, oven and window cleaners, paints and coatings, perfume, pharmaceuticals, pool chemicals and propane cylinders. The City asks that they stay out of drains and regular garbage.
A junk crew carries furniture and bagged waste. Hazardous products need a different route, which is why they appear on the refusal lists on what haulers take.
Why a hauler leaves them
One Ottawa firm bars hazardous materials, propane tanks (empty or not), paint and solvents from its bin rental. Another firm’s hauling page refuses medical sharps, unlabelled chemicals and asbestos materials, and takes fuel drums only when empty and cut open. A third firm lists paint at $5 a can and propane at $25. Settle it on the call.
The City’s drop-off events
The 2026 household hazardous waste event is on November 7, from 8 am to 4 pm, at the Westbrook Snow Dump, 200 Westbrook Road. Residents stay in the vehicle and staff retrieve items from the trunk. Commercial waste is prohibited, the service is for Ottawa residents only, and electronic waste is refused. Containers larger than 20 litres and loads over 100 litres are refused. Cardboard boxes must be double-lined with a garbage bag.
A walk-up pilot takes up to 20 litres per resident for people on foot, bike or a mobility device. Aerosol cans with contents, car batteries, gasoline, large propane, flares and ammunition are among the items it turns away.
Retailers, batteries and daily options
The City points out that residents do not need to wait for an event. Its Waste Explorer finds retailers that take back light bulbs, batteries, paint and oil daily. Dried paint can go in the garbage. Tires go to participating retailers, and the Trail Road landfill takes up to 10 passenger or light truck tires a day free of charge.
Batteries need care. Lithium and lithium-ion, coin and button cells, rechargeable types and anything 9 V or higher need taped terminals or a separate sealed bag per battery. An e-bike or e-scooter battery must come off the frame first. The City says such batteries cause fires if damaged or put in the garbage, recycling or green bin. The metal frame can then go as scrap.
Things with a police or technician route
Flares, bullets, explosives, firearms and fireworks go through Ottawa Police at 613-236-1222. Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers need their cooling chemicals removed and a tag before landfill entry; the fridge and freezer page explains the hauler side. Renovation material has its own page, renovation debris removal.
Timing in Ottawa
The City’s page lists one upcoming 2026 event, so the date matters. If a cleanout is due before November 7, ask the company to take what it can and set aside the hazardous items for the event or a retailer. The item price guide lists the per-piece fees where a hauler does take them.
Who you are dealing with
When you send a pile that includes chemicals, the single independent hauler we pass it to decides container by container. Expect one of two answers on its call: a per-piece fee, or a refusal. List every can and tank up front, and plan the City event or a retailer for whatever it leaves.
Questions to ask the company
- Do you load paint, propane tanks or batteries at all, and at what fee per piece?
- If you refuse them, will you take the rest of the load on the same visit?
- I have a mix of old cans with no labels. How do you handle those?
- Can you take the empty tank, drum or extinguisher?
- Do you give me a list of what you did not take, for my City trip?
Have this ready for the call
- A count of the cans, tanks, bottles and batteries, grouped by type.
- Containers kept upright and sealed, in the original packaging where you have it.
- Lithium and button batteries with terminals taped, each in its own bag.
- Anything unlabelled set apart and flagged, so the crew does not guess.
- A clear route to the main pile, with the hazardous items kept out of it.
Questions people ask
When is the next City hazardous waste drop-off?
The City’s page lists one upcoming 2026 event: November 7, 2026, at the Westbrook Snow Dump, 200 Westbrook Road, 8 am to 4 pm. Residents stay in their vehicle and staff unload the trunk. Commercial waste is prohibited, and the events refuse electronic waste. Bring only what you want gone.
How much can I bring to the City event?
The event refuses containers larger than 20 litres and any load over 100 litres. Walk-up events cap each resident at 20 litres and take small paint cans, small propane cylinders, light bulbs, household cleaners, caulking, small batteries, pool chemicals, pesticides, adhesives and solvents.
What is the safe way to deal with old batteries?
Lithium, button cell, rechargeable, 9V and small sealed lead acid batteries need their terminals covered with clear packing, duct or electrical tape, or each placed in its own sealed bag. The City asks you to find a drop-off through its Waste Explorer or a Call2Recycle box at a retailer.
Where do fireworks, flares and ammunition go?
To the Ottawa Police at 613-236-1222, which will come and handle them with the safety steps they need on site. The City asks residents not to bring these to a police station. Spent fireworks are soaked in water for 24 hours and then go in regular garbage.
What about the empty propane tank from a barbecue?
The City lists propane cylinders as household hazardous waste. A hauler may take a barbecue-size tank for $15–$25 on two Ottawa lists, but one bin rental bars propane tanks even when empty. Tell the company the size and whether the tank is a cylinder or a large refillable one.
Can I pour leftover paint or cleaner down the drain?
The City says household hazardous waste should never be poured down the drain or put out with regular garbage, because products that are corrosive, flammable or poisonous contaminate water and landfills. Dried paint can go in the garbage. Liquid paint returns to a retailer or goes to a City event.
