Green Cart Program
Updated March 25, 2026
Roadside waste collection restarts next week.
Roadside garbage collection resumes on your next regularly scheduled garbage collection day.
Roadside organics and recycling collection resumes on your next regularly scheduled Green Cart and Blue Box collection day.
Temporary increased limits will be in place as follows:
Garbage collection, weeks of March 30 and April 6
Residential properties may set out up to four bags, containers or bundles per unit.
Registered Yellow Bag participants may set out up to 12 yellow bags per registered participant.
Registered participants in the diaper waste program should place all clear bags of diaper waste at the roadside on their regularly scheduled diaper collection day.
Green Cart and Blue Box, week of March 30
Extra organic waste that does not fit in your Green Cart may be placed in certified compostable bags and set on top of or beside your Green Cart in a cardboard box or similar small container without a lid. Do not place bags directly on the ground.
Extra recyclables may be placed next to your Blue Box in a cardboard box or other box without a lid no larger than a Blue Box.
Yellow Box Recycling Carts, weeks of March 30 and April 6
Recyclables that do not fit in your cart may be placed next to your cart in a cardboard box or other box without a lid no larger than a Blue Box.
Residents and property owners are asked to support a smooth and safe collection process by following these tips:
- Do not place waste on snowbanks, sidewalks or in the travelled roadway.
- Keep waste at the mouth of your driveway.
- Put waste out by 7 a.m. on collection day.
- All bags and containers must weigh no more than 40 lb / 18 kg.
- For properties using waste storage containers, please clear snow from the top of your storage container and ensure there is a safe, clear path for collection crews to access it. Waste storage containers that cannot be accessed cannot be collected.
Landfill sites and Recycling Centre
The Sudbury, Azilda and Hanmer landfill sites, the Walden Small Vehicle Transfer Station and the Recycling Centre will open to all customers on Thursday, March 26, during regular operating hours.
All regular tipping and gate fees will be in effect. Wait times may be longer than usual at landfill sites. Residents are encouraged to check the Sudbury landfill livestream before heading to the site.
To reduce wait times, residents are encouraged to hold their waste until roadside collection resumes. Those who do visit landfill sites can support waste diversion by separating recyclable and compostable waste.
Waste services that have not yet resumed:
- Furniture, appliance and electronic collection and pick-up requests are unavailable until further notice.
- Requests for new or additional Green Carts are unavailable until further notice.
- Leaf and yard trimming collection will resume on your regularly scheduled garbage and leaf and yard collection day beginning the week of April 13.
Join the City’s residential Green Cart Program and help turn your organic waste into compost. No need to sign up or leave your home.

If you already compost in a backyard composter
We encourage you to continue backyard composting, however, you should consider participating in the Green Cart Program too, because some items can't be composted at home, but are accepted in the City's Green Cart Program.
Green Cart Program Eligibility
If you’re a household on a roadside collection route, you can participate and get a Green Cart for free.
Benefits of using a Green Cart
- Unlimited weekly collection
- Reduces the amount of garbage and helps you meet the current garbage limit for every other week roadside collection
- Animal resistant containers with a lock
- Saves landfill space
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
- Creates compost for reuse
Get started with the Green Cart Program
- You may request a free Green Cart by downloading the Greater Sudbury Waste Wise App, contacting 311 or submitting a request using the Waste Wise online tool. Allow approximately two weeks for delivery.
- Find or buy a container to collect your food scraps. You can use a suitably sized container (for example an empty ice cream container) or buy a kitchen collector. They are available for purchase at Citizen Service Centres or the Recycling Centre at 1825 Frobisher Street, open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon. Their cost is $3.65 each.
- Buy certified compostable bags to use in your kitchen collector and Green Cart. They are available at most retailers.
- Learn more about what goes in the Green Cart. You can also use our Waste Wise tool to learn what should go where!
How to use your Green Cart
- Line your kitchen collector with a certified compostable bag or buy special food waste paper bags.
- Collect your food scraps/acceptable organic waste in the kitchen collector, instead of putting them in your garbage.
- Every few days or when your kitchen collector bag is full, securely tie the bag with a knot or compostable cotton string, and transfer it into your Green Cart.
- You may also choose to drain all liquids from your kitchen collector, wrap your organics in newspaper and place them in a closed paper bag in the Green Cart.
- Make sure you never place items loosely into a Green Cart. All items must be appropriately contained to be collected.
- Containers must not weigh more than 40 lbs/18 kg.
- Put your lockable Green Cart(s) at the roadside by 7 a.m. on your regularly scheduled collection day, for unlimited weekly collection. Put it out even if the cart is not full.