Is it legal in Ontario to put a mattress in a construction bin?

We found no Ontario law or City of Ottawa rule that bans mattresses from a construction bin. The City's Trail Waste Facility does not list mattresses among its refused items, and we found no provincial regulation that prohibits them.

What does apply is company policy. Bin companies set their own lists of refused and surcharged items, and mattresses appear on some of those lists. The same is true for tires, certain appliances, and other bulky items. Two Ottawa bin companies charge a per-mattress fee. Each company sets its own terms, so the answer that counts is the one in writing from the company you book.

A few other things worth knowing for a mixed renovation load:

• The City landfill does not accept hazardous waste, liquid waste or asbestos. Paint, propane cylinders and motor oil are household hazardous waste, and Ottawa bin companies list paint and propane tanks among refused items.
• Oil tanks and drums must be cut in half or perforated many times before the landfill will accept them.
• Companies set their own rules on drywall, shingles and concrete; some keep a separate bin for concrete and other clean fill.

Before the bin arrives, get the company's full list of refused and surcharged items in writing, along with the pricing model (bin fee plus weight, or all-in with tonnes included), the number of days and tonnes covered in the quoted price, and the extra-day rate. That one document tells you exactly what the bin costs and what cannot go in it.