Are old windows with glass accepted in Ottawa construction bins?

Old windows with glass are accepted by most Ottawa bin companies, but glass is treated as a surcharged or conditionally accepted item rather than a straightforward one. The City of Ottawa's Trail Waste Facility does not list glass windows among its refused materials, so the restriction comes from company rules, not City or provincial law.

The main variables are how much glass you have and how it is mixed with other material. A few window frames pulled during a bathroom renovation will land differently than a full-house window replacement where glass makes up a large share of the load. Companies set their own accepted and refused lists, and some treat large quantities of glass separately from small amounts mixed into general renovation debris.

A few things worth asking before you book:

• Does the company accept glass windows at all, and is there a surcharge per window, per load, or above a certain quantity?
• Does the answer change if the glass is broken versus intact?
• Are the windows mixed with wood frames and hardware, or is it glass only? Some companies handle mixed window units differently from loose glass.
• What is the refused and surcharged items list in writing, so there are no surprises at pickup?

On the contract side, if you book online the Ontario Consumer Protection Act, 2002 treats that as an internet agreement, and the company is required to give you a written copy. Ask for the accepted and refused items list as part of that written record, not just a verbal answer.

The single most useful question to put to a bin company before booking: how does your company price a load that includes a significant number of glass window units, and does that change if the glass is broken?