What Happens to Hazardous Waste

Updated April 2, 2026

Roadside garbage collection resumes on your next regularly scheduled garbage collection day and week. Check the Waste Wise app or website to make sure it's your collection week.

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

Temporary collection changes

For residents scheduled on Thursday, April 2
- Garbage: No change. Collection will take place Thursday.
- Blue Box and Green Cart in Sudbury: Rescheduled to Friday.
- Blue Box and Green Cart in Chelmsford, Azilda, Lively, McCrea Heights, Val Caron, Coniston and Wahnapitae: Rescheduled to Saturday.

Please note that this temporary change for Thursday routes will not appear in the Waste Wise calendar.

For residents whose Friday, April 3 collection was moved to Saturday, April 4 because of Good Friday
- Garbage: No change. Collection will take place Saturday, April 4.
- Blue Box and Green Cart: Rescheduled to Monday.

This temporary change will be reflected in Waste Wise.Calendar

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 are now open to all customers during regular operating hours.

All regular tipping and gate fees are 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 their 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.

  • Watch our household hazardous waste video to learn about the process and how you can keep harmful hazardous waste out of the landfill.
  • Paint collected at the Household Hazardous Waste Depot that still appears to be in usable condition is available free of charge through the City’s Paint Reuse Program, which helps puts paint where it belongs – on buildings, walls, and fences.
  • Paint is inspected and good quality, reusable paints can also be hand sorted by colour for processing into recycled content paint.
  • Most non-recyclable paints are manufactured into other products, including Processed Latex Pigment (PLP) which is used in the manufacturing of cement. A very small percentage of non-reusable paint is disposed at secure landfill sites.
  • Motor oil is shipped to facilities where it is processed and refined into new motor oil. Oil filters are drained of oil and crushed and created into dense, steel bricks. The steel and oil are sold to scrap yards and refineries.
  • Antifreeze is shipped to a processing facility where contaminants are removed and additives are added to restore the properties of the antifreeze.
  • Medications and pharmaceuticals are neutralized and disposed in a secure landfill.
  • Pesticides are destroyed by high temperatures, contaminants are removed and gases are neutralized. Any solid residue is disposed of in a secure landfill.
  • Gasoline, kerosene, diesel, fuel and aerosols are shipped to a facility, processed and blended to produce a waste fuel that powers cement kilns. 
  • Miscellaneous wastes such as cleaners, disinfectants and pool chemicals are lab-packed in certain categories and shipped for treatment or disposal. Some are treated and blended to produce waste fuel. Others are destroyed, neutralized and disposed.
  • Syringes, lancets and sharps are packed in a sharps container and sent to a licensed facility that incinerates the waste product.
  • Household and automotive batteries are shipped for recycling. The various metals and plastics are all separated and reused to manufacture new batteries.
  • Fluorescent lamps are transported to recycling facilities where they are processed to be used in other products.