Do diapers go in the garbage or the green bin in Canada?

Do diapers go in the garbage or the green bin in Canada?

Whether used diapers go in the garbage or the green bin depends on where you live, because each municipality sets its own collection rules. This guide gives you a quick way to find your own answer and a routine for storing diapers between collection days. Check your local rules first, then set up a system that fits them.

Why the answer depends on where you live

Household waste collection in Canada is set up locally, by your municipality, region or a contractor it hires. Each program decides what goes in the garbage, the organics or green bin and the recycling, and those decisions can differ between neighbouring towns and even between a house and an apartment building.

So a rule you heard from a friend in another city, or read in a parenting group, may not apply to you. The only answer that counts is the one in your own program's guide.

How to check your municipality's rules

Try these in order, and stop when you find a clear answer:

  1. Your municipality's website. Search for its waste or collection page, then look for diapers in the list of items.
  2. A sorting lookup or app. Some municipalities offer a search tool where you type an item and see which bin it goes in.
  3. The printed or emailed collection guide. Your household may have received one, and a sticker on the bin lid may repeat the basics.
  4. The municipal information line. In some cities this is 311; elsewhere it is a phone number on the website.
  5. Your landlord or property manager. In a rental or condo, the building may have its own rules on top of the city's.

When you find the answer, check three details as well: whether diapers need to be bagged, what kind of bag is accepted and whether anything changes with the season.

If your area takes diapers in the green bin

Programs that take diapers set their own conditions, so follow them exactly. Ask yourself:

  • Do diapers need to be in a particular type of bag, or no bag?
  • Is there a limit on how many go in per collection?
  • Does the program accept only disposable diapers, or training pants and adult products as well?
  • Does the collection schedule for organics differ from the garbage schedule?

A green bin can get smelly in warm weather, so keep the lid closed and look at how your program wants you to line it. Do not assume that everything connected to diapers is accepted just because the diaper is. The section on wipes, sacks and liners covers the extras.

If diapers go in the garbage

If your program puts diapers in the regular garbage, bag each one or collect them in a pail liner, tie the bag well and put it in the outdoor bin. Leave a little room in the bag so you can tie it without a struggle. Diapers do not belong in the recycling unless your program says otherwise. If your program limits the number of bags or the size of the bin, ask whether it makes any allowance for households with diapers.

If you want to cut down on what goes in the garbage, some families look at reusable diapers. That is a bigger decision about laundry and routine, and the cloth and reusable diapers collection is a place to see what is available.

Storing diapers between collection days

Storage matters because collection day can be a week or more away. The idea is to keep the smell contained and the diapers out of reach of children and animals.

  • Inside: a lidded pail or a bin with a tight lid keeps used diapers sealed until you take them out. The diaper pails and refills collection lists what we carry, and one refill option is the Diaper Genie Easy Roll Diaper Pail Refill, 30 Bags. Check the product page for the pail it fits.
  • Outside: a lidded bin is the sensible choice. Raccoons and other animals can open weak lids, so use a bin with a locking lid or keep the bin in a garage or shed until collection day.
  • Heat and cold: a closed bin in hot sun smells quickly. In winter the cold slows the smell, but remember that a frozen lid can be hard to lift.

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Wipes, sacks and pail liners

Diapers may have one rule and the things around them another. Check each of these in your guide:

  • Wipes. They may have a different rule from diapers. Some municipalities ask residents not to flush wipes of any kind, even ones labelled flushable, so check before you flush.
  • Diaper sacks and bags. The plastic bag you tie around a diaper may or may not be accepted in the green bin.
  • Pail liners. A continuous liner is a long plastic tube, so treat it like any other plastic bag under your program's rules.
  • Adult briefs and pads. If someone at home uses incontinence products, ask whether your program classes them the same way as baby diapers.

If a nurse supports care at home, ask them how to dispose of any medical items beyond ordinary diapers, because those can have their own rules.

Condos, chutes and shared bins

In an apartment or condo, the building sets the routine. Ask the property manager which bin diapers belong in, whether there is a chute and whether the chute accepts tied bags. If chutes are allowed, make sure the bag is sealed first, because a loose diaper can fall out and leave a mess for the next person.

Shared bins fill fast, so bag each diaper tightly and take it straight to the right bin rather than leaving it in a stairwell or by the door.

Common questions

Do compostable or biodegradable diapers go in the green bin?

Not automatically. A label on the pack is not the same as acceptance by your municipality's program, so check the guide.

Do I need a special bag?

It depends on your program. Some programs require a particular kind of bag, some ask for none and some have no preference, so the guide for your area is the place to confirm.

What if the rules change when I move?

They might. Check the new municipality's rules as part of your move, and ask your new building about its routine.

If you want help choosing a pail or setting up diaper storage at home, send us a note through the contact page. We reply within one business day.