Do Ottawa bin companies refuse electronics and batteries?

Batteries, yes, at two or more Ottawa bin companies: they list batteries among refused items. Electronics did not appear on the company refused lists we read, but that does not mean a company will take them, so the only answer that counts is the one in writing from the company you book.

The City of Ottawa's own routes for both are outside the bin. The City's Waste Explorer finds retailer take-back for batteries, and the Trail Road landfill takes e-waste free of charge when it is source-separated. Scrap metal is free there on the same condition. The landfill's refusal list does not name electronics or batteries; it names asbestos, commercial garbage, liquid waste and hazardous waste, and the City defines hazardous waste as anything "corrosive, flammable or poisonous".

What to ask the bin company before anything goes in:

• Are batteries of any kind refused, or charged as a special item?
• Are electronics such as televisions, monitors or small appliances accepted, refused or charged?
• Does its written list name the specific items you have, not only a general category?

Some items in a clean-out are household hazardous waste on the City's list, such as aerosol containers, paints and coatings, propane cylinders, motor oil and fire extinguishers. The City runs household hazardous waste events for residents.

Because the City offers free and take-back routes for these items, setting them aside before the bin arrives can keep them off the company's refused list altogether.

Ask the company for its refused-items list in writing, and check it against the electronics and batteries you have.