Toronto Garbage Pickup Schedule

In Toronto, your green bin goes out every week, while garbage and recycling alternate every other week. Collection runs on a set weekday — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday — decided by your address. Enter your postal code below for your exact 2026 dates.

enter your toronto postal code to see your upcoming collection schedule.

How It Works

Toronto splits the city into collection zones. Each zone has a specific daytime pickup day — Tuesday through Friday — and one of two bi-weekly calendars. (A set of downtown buildings get overnight collection instead.)

Collected every week:

  🟢 Green Bin (organics)

Collected every other week:

  🗑️  Garbage
  ♻️  Recycling (blue bin)

Seasonal collections:

  🌿 Yard Waste ........... March – December
  🎄 Christmas Trees ...... January

Collection Zones

Toronto has 8 daytime collection zones — 4 days (Tuesday–Friday) × 2 calendars each.

  Tuesday1   Tuesday2
  Wednesday1 Wednesday2
  Thursday1  Thursday2
  Friday1    Friday2

Your postal code determines which zone you're in. The two calendars for each day alternate garbage weeks — when calendar 1 has garbage, calendar 2 doesn't, and vice versa. (Some downtown addresses have overnight collection Monday–Thursday nights instead of a daytime zone.)

Toronto Garbage Schedule — Common Questions

When is garbage day in Toronto?

Toronto collects on a set weekday — Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday — decided by your address, on one of two alternating calendars (8 daytime zones in all). A set of downtown buildings have overnight collection instead. Enter your postal code above to see your exact day.

Is this week a garbage week or a recycling week?

Your green bin goes out every week. Garbage and recycling alternate — one week garbage, the next week recycling — and which one is next depends on your calendar. The this-week checker and the lookup above both show the next date for each.

What time do I put my bins out?

Put your bins out by 7:00 AM on your collection day, and no earlier than 8:00 PM the night before. Set them at the curb, not on the sidewalk or road. Downtown overnight-collection areas set out after 6 PM and before 9 PM instead.

Is there garbage collection on holidays?

Toronto collects on almost every statutory holiday, so your day does not change. The only exceptions are Christmas Day and New Year's Day, when that week's collection shifts forward one day. See the holiday schedule for exact dates.

How many garbage bags can I put out?

Most households get 3 items of garbage per bi-weekly pickup, including bags, bins and containers. Extra items need a $4.19 city garbage tag. There is no limit on green bin or recycling.