Montréal junk-disposal & bulky-item guide

Mattress and box-spring disposal

Montréal's current item guidance does not put upholstered mattresses in the ordinary non-upholstered bulky/CRD pile citywide. It describes retailer take-back, an ecocentre or the applicable household-waste collection as options; mattresses and box springs are recycled at the Saint-Laurent ecocentre, while upholstered furniture at other ecocentres is not necessarily recycled. Saint-Laurent's bulky collection is an explicit exception, with upholstered items separated from other bulky material. Check the address in Info-Collectes before placing a mattress outdoors, especially if moving between boroughs.

Couches and large furniture

A wooden desk and an upholstered couch may go to different collection streams. The City's item list directs upholstered sofas and easy chairs to the household-waste route in most boroughs and says Saint-Laurent accepts them in bulky collection when separated. Non-upholstered furniture follows the borough bulky-item schedule and published volume and size limits. If the item is in reusable condition, confirm a willing reuse recipient before moving it; leaving it at the curb on the wrong day can result in a fine.

Fridges, freezers and appliances

Large household appliances can be part of bulky-item collection, but refrigerant or special appliances may need additional checking before set-out.

Drywall and renovation debris

Montréal is unusual because the municipal page combines bulky items with CRD collection. Construction material must still follow the City’s preparation and container rules; ordinary plastic “construction bags” are not accepted as containers for this collection.

Does your property type change the answer?

In Montréal, the borough is often as important as the building type. Multi-unit residents should also respect the building’s storage/set-out location and the borough collection schedule rather than leave furniture beside a container between collections.

Montréal: sort the object before checking the borough calendar

Three objects that look equally bulky can have three destinations

Take an apartment move-out containing a wooden table, fabric couch and pieces of drywall. The table may belong to the borough's bulky-object collection, the couch to household-waste guidance for upholstered material, and the drywall to construction, renovation and demolition rules. Saint-Laurent is an explicit exception for upholstered bulky pickup, with a separate pile; Lachine combines upholstered pieces with a household-waste collection. The borough and exact item both matter. Use Info-Collectes for the address rather than deciding from the furniture's size alone.

Measure the pile and container, not only the heaviest item

Montréal's bulky/CRD limits are borough-specific: the City's current collection page shows different volume and item limits depending on the selected borough and property type. A renovation clean-out can therefore exceed the local allowance even when every board is individually liftable; check the address in Info-Collectes before set-out. Contractors, schools and organizations cannot use the service for individuals; a private disposal arrangement is needed. The City also prohibits household hazardous materials such as paints or oils in the bulky and ordinary garbage collection.

Choose an ecocentre with the outcome in mind

Montréal accepts upholstered pieces at ecocentres, but its materials page says they generally are not recycled there. The Saint-Laurent ecocentre is identified for mattress and box-spring recycling. For a reusable appliance or piece of furniture, confirm a recipient's intake criteria first. The distinction between collected, recycled and reused changes the best option even when all three remove an item from the apartment. Recheck collection hours and the address's set-out period before moving a pile onto a busy sidewalk.