What do appliances or mattresses add to the cost of a bin in Nepean?

Two Ottawa bin companies charge per appliance and per mattress on top of the bin price, and we found no per-item figure that holds across companies. Those per-item fees are company charges, separate from the bin price itself, and the amount differs from one company to the next.

Appliances that hold refrigerant have a City rule behind them as well. The City of Ottawa's special-items page says refrigerators, freezers, air conditioning units and dehumidifiers "must have cooling chemicals removed and be tagged by a certified technician" before they go to a landfill, and untagged units are refused entry. Ask the company whether it takes those appliances at all, and whether a tag is needed first.

Mattresses are a company rule, not a City one: the City landfill's refusal list does not name mattresses. Whether a mattress goes in your bin, and at what charge, is whatever the company puts in writing.

What to ask before the bin arrives:

• Is there a per-appliance or per-mattress charge, and how much?
• Does a fridge, freezer or air conditioner need a technician's tag before it goes in?
• Is the list of refused and surcharged items in writing?
• Does the company add a fuel or environmental surcharge on top of the bin price?

In Nepean as anywhere in Ottawa, the per-item fee sits on top of whichever pricing model the quote uses, so ask for it as a separate line.

Get the per-item charges written into the quote before the drop-off date.