Can tires go in a renovation dumpster in Ottawa?

The City's Trail Road landfill accepts tires, but a bin company may still refuse them. Bans and per-item fees on tires are company rules: at least two Ottawa bin companies list tires among refused items, and others accept them for a per-tire charge.

The City's own routes for tires do not involve a bin at all. Its special-items page says tires should be recycled at participating retailers, and the Trail Road landfill takes up to 10 passenger and light truck tires a day from any person at no charge.

If you still want tires in the bin, ask the company before you book:

• Does it accept tires, and is there a per-tire charge?
• Is its list of refused and surcharged items in writing?

Tires are one item on a longer list. Ottawa bin companies' own lists name hazardous materials, paint, propane or other pressurised tanks, batteries and medical waste among refused items, and the City landfill does not accept hazardous or liquid waste. Fridges, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers must have their cooling chemicals removed and be tagged by a certified technician before a landfill will take them.

None of those company rules is a City ban, and they differ from one company to the next, so the company's own written list is the one to go by.

Get the refused-items list with the quote and check it against what is going into the bin, tires included, before the drop-off date.