Can I haul my own renovation waste to Ottawa's Trail Road landfill instead?

Yes, homeowners can bring residential renovation waste to the Trail Road Landfill Site themselves. The City's Trail Waste Facility rates page confirms that residential garbage, including construction material from the homeowner, is accepted.

A few things to know before you load the truck:

• The City landfill does not accept asbestos, liquid waste, hazardous waste or commercial garbage. There is also a permanent ban on Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional waste.
• Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioning units and dehumidifiers must have cooling chemicals removed and be tagged by a certified technician before arrival; untagged items will be refused.
• Oil tanks and drums must be cut in half or perforated many times.
• If your load contains paint, motor oil, propane cylinders, pesticides, aerosol containers or other household hazardous waste, those items go to a household hazardous waste drop-off, not the landfill. Dried paint is the exception: the City says dried paint can go in the garbage.

On cost, the City's 2026 landfill rates for residential garbage including construction material are $172.70 per tonne above 250 kg, with a minimum charge of $43.20. Fill material such as asphalt, masonry and concrete without rebar is $144 per tonne. Soil is $81.90 per tonne. These are City landfill gate rates, not bin rental prices.

Whether hauling yourself saves money depends on how many trips you need, what vehicle you have, and how much the material weighs. A bin rental bundles delivery, pickup and disposal into one transaction, which can be simpler for larger jobs. For smaller jobs, a single trip to Trail Road may cost less, but you carry the sorting and transport yourself.

One thing worth checking before you decide: ask a bin company what their disposal rate per tonne is and what minimum charge applies, so you can compare that directly against the City's gate rate for your type of material.