Garbage and Recycling

When putting your garbage at the curb, please remember the following:

• Each bag must have a valid Greater Napanee bag tag.
• Garbage bags or garbage containers cannot weigh more than 18 kg (40 lbs).
• Residents must have their garbage at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on their collection day.
• A limit of three (3) bags of garbage per residential property is permitted.
• A limit of five (5) bags of garbage per commercial property is permitted.
• For more information, see the Solid Waste By-law.

Garbage bag tags are required for all bags of garbage put out to the curbside for weekly collection (a limit of up to 3 bags per residential property or up to 5 bags per commercial property). Greater Napanee bag tags can be purchased at various locations within our community. For a list of bag tag purchasing locations, please see our Buy Garbage Bag Tags page.

If you recently purchased a new home in Napanee, it is expected that the distribution of the annual bag tag allotment would be considered as part of the real estate transaction. If the previous owner did not leave bag tags for the property, additional tags can be purchased at various locations within our community. For a list of bag tag purchasing locations, please see our Buy Garbage Bag Tags page. 

Before you call our office to report that your waste was not collected, please ensure that it was not because of one of the following reasons:

Reasons Why Garbage May Not Have Been Collected

• Bag tag(s) was not placed on bag(s) garbage.
• It was more than 18kg (40 lbs) and too heavy for collection. 
• More than three bags were placed at the curb for residential property.  More than five bags were placed at the curb for commercial property. 
• It contained sharp items that made it dangerous to collect.
• Late put out. Curbside collection starts at 7:00 am, late put outs may result in missed collection.

The list above offers some of the main reasons that waste items are not collected, but it is not a conclusive list.

If a notice has been placed on the material to indicate why the material was not collected, please remedy the situation and place it out for retrieval on your next collection day.

If no notice was left, please report that your waste was not collected by completing our Report an Issue form

Not sure of the pickup schedule for the holidays? Please see the municipal calendar for information on garbage and recycling schedules around the holidays.

• Always make sure that the lid is secure on your garbage container and/or tie garbage bags individually
• Don't put your garbage and recycling outside until the morning of your collection day. This should help to avoid rodents and scavengers.
• Put recyclables in a clear plastic bag on your collection day rather than leaving them loose in the blue box
• Place heavier items near the top of the blue/grey box to hold down other items

Did you know that nearly half of what Ontarian's put in the trash is not actually garbage? Use the following tips to help increase waste diversion within Greater Napanee:

• Use the blue/grey box: All residents within Greater Napanee have curbside recycling collection. Take advantage of this service and put your recycling out to the curb! 
• Make recycling convenient: Put small recycling bins around your house in any locations that you already have a waste basket.
• Avoid contamination in your recycling: Make sure your items are thoroughly rinsed and clean. Keep foods and liquids out of the recycling. One food-soiled item can turn an entire load of recycling into trash. 
• Think before you buy: Avoid purchasing highly packaged items. Look for items that are packed in materials that you know are recyclable. Buy grocery items in bulk and repackage them into smaller portions yourself with reusable containers.
• Use a Backyard Composter: Food scraps, yard waste and soiled paper products can all be composted and reused in your garden. 
• Reuse or Donate: Other people can reuse your unwanted clothes, books and other various household items. Try giving away these items to friends, family, or consider donating them. Many household items can be used for different purposes. Get creative!