Cart-based waste collection

A black bin and a green bin along the curb in front of houses.

Council approved the use of 120L carts as the standard for cart-based collection at its May 7, 2024, meeting. The approximate dimensions of the carts will be 48.6 cm by 95.5 cm. Further details are yet to be determined and will be presented to Council in late 2024 to early 2025.

The City of Kingston’s current waste collection system is a manual system, with garbage picked up by hand in bags or from containers and organics from small green bins. The waste industry as a whole has been undergoing significant changes in recent years and many cities and towns

A black bin and a green bin along the curb in front of houses.

Council approved the use of 120L carts as the standard for cart-based collection at its May 7, 2024, meeting. The approximate dimensions of the carts will be 48.6 cm by 95.5 cm. Further details are yet to be determined and will be presented to Council in late 2024 to early 2025.

The City of Kingston’s current waste collection system is a manual system, with garbage picked up by hand in bags or from containers and organics from small green bins. The waste industry as a whole has been undergoing significant changes in recent years and many cities and towns have begun collecting garbage and organics using automated trucks. These trucks pick up dedicated carts using a mechanical arm attached to the truck, and no manual lifting is required. Kingston will be moving to an automated Garbage and Green Bin collection program starting in 2025.

The transition will require that residents be provided with collection carts that are compatible with the automated truck and the City would provide these carts for solid waste and organics collection. The benefits of this program include cleaner streets with less mess, impactful health and safety improvements for staff, and a more accessible solid waste collection system for all residents.

The City seeks to inform and consult the public on various components of the transition to the fully automated collection program including but not limited to cart sizes, collection frequency, cart storage and options for additional waste collections.

Get involved

  • Starting Jan. 18, fill out our survey to provide feedback on cart sizes and collection frequency. The survey closes Friday, Feb. 9, at 4 p.m.
  • Feedback can also be shared by phone or email. Please call 613-546-0000 Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or contact us at wastestrategies@cityofkingston.ca.
  • Review questions and answers in the Q&A tab below.

Join the project list to stay up-to-date on new opportunities!

Do you have questions about how cart-based collection will work in Kingston? Now is your chance to ask us! Questions submitted through this forum will be shared with staff to answer. Questions and answers will be published to help all community members learn about cart-based waste collection. 

Please review previously published questions to see if your question has already been addressed.

Please submit your questions by Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.

All information received will be compiled and considered by staff for use under the purposes of this site. Information will be collected and used in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and other relevant privacy legislation. All comments made on this site are available to the public and may form part of public records.

  • For winter months where bags freeze into the bin will the drivers be able to check or have sensors to assess this?

    Cierraxo asked about 1 year ago

    There will be no way for drivers to confirm that all bags have been dislodged from the cart. However, the tipping mechanism should free any items that are not packed tightly into the cart. Avoiding free liquids in the green bin will also assist with winter collection. 

    operational
    operational

  • We are concerned that the City is missing the opportunity to use the transition to a cart based program to reduce waste through policy changes aligned to the City’s waste diversion goals. The responses to some of the questions so far regarding the size of carts and the ability for the mechanical arms to lift heavy weight leave us concerned that waste diversion targets will not be met. We are left with the impression that the public will have the option to receive very large carts (if that’s what they want) and fill them as full as possible each week. Can you please clarify how the program aligns to a reduction, not an increase, in the amount of waste being sent to landfill?

    Jeremy D asked about 1 year ago

    The change to carts is an operational change that is required to provide efficient and safe services to the city. Other opportunities for waste diversion will be explored and potentially implemented, and existing diversion programs remain in place. 

    operational
    operational

  • Our family generates a very very small amount of garbage each week. We have been working with our neighbours to help them do the same! Will every house be required to have a cart or can we share a cart with several of our neighbour(s)?

    Jeremy D asked about 1 year ago

    Every residential unit will be provided a cart. Residents are welcome to share carts should they choose to, so long as the volume of waste does not exceed the top of the cart. 

    administration
    administration

  • I have a 200 ft gravel driveway, summer no issues, in winter I already have to carry the green bin to the road as the stupid tiny wheels can not traverse a snow blown gravel driveway. Will the new carts have wheels big enough to actually be dragged along the route? Or is this just an urban project and the rural folk will continue with bags.

    PT Scott asked about 1 year ago

    The cart wheels are 6 inches or greater on all size options, which should allow for easier maneuverability. 

    operations
    operations

  • Will the collectors have any input into this as they are the front line source for any concerns or improvements!

    kbhulton asked about 1 year ago

    Collection staff have been, and will continue to provide feedback throughout this transition. 

    administration
    administration

  • The collectors always drop the current green bins and they quickly crack, causing food waste to leak and stain my garage floor. Will the new Green Bins have a lower risk of structural damage during collection?

    Jamie Cade asked about 1 year ago

    The lifting mechanism should prevent unnecessary breakage of the carts. The City will be responsible for the management of damaged carts, including the pick up and drop off of replacements. 

    operational
    operational

  • Will we still be able to put yard waste in the green bins?

    Gail Lieberman asked about 1 year ago

    At this time, the City is looking at having an expanded leaf and yard waste program. At this time, there have been no decisions made. 

    operations
    operations

  • In the winter, the locking mechanism on the currently used green bins often freezes up, making it difficult to secure the bin. Will the new waste bins be designed for our winter conditions?

    ConnieB asked about 1 year ago

    Yes, the carts are designed for winter weather. The mechanism allows for the carts to be collected off of small snowbanks and around parked cars.  

    operations
    operations

  • We live in a rural area of Kingston. I currently use a garbage container designed to keep wildlife from accessing the bag. Otherwise the racoons have a field day tearing our garbage apart and leaving it strewn across the roadside. Will the new carts have any safeguards in place to prevent this?

    Eric Lunney asked about 1 year ago

    The City is looking at various options for rodent prevention such as locking lids and straps that work with the tipping mechanism, however the lids to the carts are challenging for rodents to open unless stored nearby fences, trees, or walls. 

    administration
    administration

  • Doesn’t switching to a cart system make potentially hundreds of thousands of resident owned large garbage receptacles obsolete causing a tremendous amount of additional waste / landfill material at a time when we’re trying to reduce our impact on the environment by reducing waste and material going to landfill?

    Cmd77 asked about 1 year ago

    There is significant re-use potential for the existing waste containers. However, the City will review options for recycling existing waste containers that residents do not wish to keep. 

    administration
    administration