The Town of Montreal West has amended its waste bylaw in order to reduce the amount of waste generated in the Town. This initiative stems from the 2022-2026 Residual Materials Management Action Plan. Under this plan, the Town has committed to moving towards zero waste and increase the rate of residual materials diverted from landfill.
Some of the amendments will reduce the size of eligible garbage bins from 360 to 240 litres and ban garbage bags being placed at the curb, outside of the bin. Most households already use a 240-litre garbage bin (or smaller), but some will have to buy one to comply. To this end, the Town has also adopted bylaw No. 2024-002 introducing a financial assistance program to help mitigate the costs associated with the purchase of a new bin.
Following the adoption of bylaw No. 2024-001, certain articles, including those bringing about the main changes for the public, will come into force on May 1, 2024.
Key points:
This table shows the volume and quantity of garbage bins that will be authorised per dwelling or establishment as of May 1, 2024:
| Dwelling / Establishment | Garbage Allowances |
| Single Family Home | 1 acceptable container of 240 litres or less |
| Duplex | 2 acceptable containers of 240 litres or less or
|
| Building with 3 – 8 dwelling units | 1 acceptable container of 240 litres or less per dwelling unit, or 1 acceptable container of 360 litres per 3 dwelling units |
| Multi-family building (Building with 9 or more dwelling units) | 1 or more (up to a maximum of 0.3 cubic metres per dwelling unit) closed waterproof containers made of steel of a maximum capacity of 6.12 cubic metres and designed to be mechanically emptied by the back loader of a garbage collection vehicle, or 1 acceptable container of 360 litres per 3 dwelling units |
| Institutional establishment | 2 acceptable containers of 360 litres or less |
| Educational establishment | 3 acceptable containers of 360 litres or less |
| Commercial establishment | 1 or more closed waterproof containers made of steel of a maximum capacity of 6.12 cubic metres and designed to be mechanically emptied by the back loader of a garbage collection vehicle, or up to 4 acceptable containers of 360 litres or less |
Garbage bins can be smaller than 240 L. Bins that do not have a European grip cannot be filled with more than 50 lbs of garbage since they have to be lifted and dumped into the truck manually.
The Town is not selling garbage bins. Bins will have to be purchased anywhere that they are sold.
It is recommended that the bin be a colour other than brown or blue since brown is generally reserved for organic waste and blue is reserved for recycling.
You may get a garbage bin with or without a European grip. However, if your bin does not have a European grip, you must ensure it does not weigh more than 50 lbs on pick-up day since it will have to be dumped into the garbage truck manually (as opposed to with the mechanical arm which latches onto the European grip handle).
To see an example of a bin with a European grip, click here.
No, the reduced size and quantities applies to garbage only.
The size of the bin should be marked on the lid.
Otherwise, if you have a bin with a European grip, you may measure the depth, from front to back, with the lid closed. A bin of 360 litres tends to be 34” in depth while a 240-litre bin tends to be closer to 27” in depth.
On display outside the Community Centre are two bins: one of 360 litres and another of 240 litres for comparison.
Furniture and household appliances will continue to be collected with household waste. Electronic equipment (computers, televisions, mobile phones) will not be collected and must be taken to an appropriate collection centre. Construction waste and Christmas trees will continue to be collected separately.
You may use your old bin for other purposes or bring it to an ecocentre. There are companies, like USD Global who can recycle your old garbage bin for a fee. To do so, fill in the form on loubac.ca. If you are or know of a company that also provides this service, please get in touch with the Town.
Yes, you can. Place the bag at the curb on the days that compost is picked up.
For those who must purchase a smaller bin to be in accordance with bylaw 2024-001, the Town is offering a one-time $50 rebate to help with the transition to smaller bins as per bylaw 2024-002.
*This rebate will be given to the first 100 residents who apply and will be valid until December 31, 2024.
Fill in the form below to benefit from the program.
This by-law is also in alignment with the following environmental action plans:
You can refer to the How to sort your waste webpage for a list of items that can go into your garbage, recycling and compost bins.
Should you have any questions, you may fill out the form on the Town's Contact Us page, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
