Should a bin booking for next month be in writing in Ontario?

Yes, and Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, 2002 sets out when that requirement is mandatory.

A bin booking is a future performance agreement under the Act when delivery, performance or payment in full is not made at the moment you sign. Section 22 says every future performance agreement over the prescribed amount (fifty dollars under O. Reg. 17/05) shall be in writing. If you do not receive a written copy that meets the Act's requirements, section 23 gives you up to one year to cancel.

How you book also matters. If you book online, the Act treats it as an internet agreement: the supplier must disclose set information, give you an express opportunity to accept or decline, and deliver a written copy. If you book by phone, it is a remote agreement, and similar disclosure and copy rules apply. Where those steps are missing, cancellation rights open up, with windows of seven days (missing disclosure or accept step) or thirty days (no written copy delivered). A direct agreement, meaning one negotiated or concluded in person somewhere other than the supplier's place of business, can be cancelled without any reason from the date you enter into it until 10 days after you receive the written copy (s.43(1)).

A written quote or confirmation for next month's bin should spell out the pricing model, the number of days included, what tonnes are included (if the quote is all-in), the extra-day rate, the list of refused and surcharged items, who is responsible for any street permit if the bin goes on the road, and how and when your card is charged. Ask for the cancellation terms in writing as well.

Ask for that written copy before you pay, and keep it until the bin has been picked up.