Green waste collection in Montreal: what's accepted, what's not, and how to prepare it

Every spring, Montreal homeowners start generating piles of yard debris: dead leaves from fall, grass clippings, pruned branches, and garden cleanout material. The city collects this green waste, but there are specific rules about what goes to the curb, how it needs to be packaged, and when it gets picked up.

What's accepted in green waste collection

According to the City of Montreal's green waste collection page, the following materials are accepted:

• Dead leaves
• Grass clippings
• Garden debris from vegetables and fruit plants
• Tree branches (deciduous and evergreen) with a maximum diameter of 5 cm
• Wood chips
• Spring yard cleaning waste
• Hedge trimmings

This covers the vast majority of what a typical residential yard produces during the growing season.

What's not accepted

The same city page lists several materials that will not be picked up:

• Branches exceeding 1 metre in length with a diameter over 5 cm
• Food waste (this goes in organic/food waste collection)
• Pet litter
• Sawdust
• Soil, rocks, stumps, or tree trunks

If you have branches thicker than 5 cm or stumps to dispose of, those need to go to an ecocentre. More on that below.

How to prepare your green waste

Container requirements vary by borough, but the city outlines several generally accepted options:

• Compostable paper bags: Widely accepted across all boroughs
• Cardboard boxes: Maximum length of 1.5 metres
• Reusable rigid containers: Maximum capacity of 150 litres, maximum weight of 25 kg when filled

Plastic bags are prohibited in some boroughs. Check your borough's specific rules before bagging anything in plastic.

Branch bundling rules

Tree branches need to be tied with fibre rope into bundles. The typical requirements are:

• Maximum bundle length: 1 metre
• Maximum bundle diameter: 50 cm
• Maximum weight: 25 kg per bundle

One notable exception: in L'Ile-Bizard-Sainte-Genevieve, branches should not be fastened into bundles. Always verify your borough's specific instructions.

Collection schedule

Green waste collection in Montreal is seasonal, running from spring through fall in most boroughs. The specific day of the week depends on your address and borough.

To find your exact schedule, the city recommends using the Info-Collectes service. Enter your postal code and it will display your collection day for green waste along with all other collection types.

Containers must be put away before 10:00 p.m. on the day of collection.

Borough differences in organic collection

Not every borough handles green waste the same way. According to the city, five boroughs combine green waste with year-round organic waste collection (food waste and green waste in one bin):

• Lachine
• Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
• L'Ile-Bizard-Sainte-Genevieve
• Pierrefonds-Roxboro
• Saint-Laurent

The remaining 14 boroughs operate two separate collections: one for food waste and a separate seasonal collection for green waste. If you're in one of the 14, your green waste pickup only runs during the growing season.

Dead leaves: special rules

Dead leaves have their own section in the regulations. According to the city's garden waste page, it's prohibited to place dead leaves in the street. They need to stay on your property or go into approved containers for collection.

The city also promotes two natural alternatives to raking and collecting leaves:

• Leafcycling: Run your mower over fallen leaves to shred them into small pieces that decompose directly on the lawn, returning nutrients to the soil
• Grasscycling: Leave grass clippings on the lawn after mowing rather than bagging them

Both methods reduce the volume of green waste you need to put out for collection and benefit your lawn's health.

Don't dump garden waste in parks

This happens more often than you'd think. The City of Montreal explicitly warns that dumping green waste in parks, ravines, or natural areas can "disturb the balance of a natural ecosystem." Garden waste can spread plant diseases to wild vegetation and introduce invasive species to natural habitats.

No matter how "natural" the waste seems, keep it on your property, put it out for collection, compost it, or bring it to an ecocentre.

Ecocentre drop-off for larger items

For branches thicker than 5 cm, stumps, trunks, and larger garden debris, Montreal's ecocentres are the right destination. These facilities accept garden debris during the summer season.

Ecocentres also handle construction debris, hazardous household waste, old electronics, and large items. To find the ecocentre nearest to you and check its hours, visit the city's ecocentre page or call 311.

Community composting

If you don't have space for a backyard composter, Montreal offers community composting sites across the island. These shared facilities let you drop off compostable materials and contribute to neighbourhood composting efforts.

What happens to your green waste

The green waste collected by the city gets composted and turned into usable soil amendment. The finished compost is distributed free to Montreal residents once or twice a year (typically spring and fall), depending on your borough. Your yard waste becomes compost that feeds next year's garden.

Tips for managing green waste efficiently

Compost at home. A backyard composter handles most garden waste and gives you free soil amendment year-round.

Shred before collection. Running branches and leaves through a chipper-shredder cuts volume significantly, meaning fewer bags at the curb.

Mow before pickup day. Time your last mowing to coincide with green waste collection so clippings go straight into bags.

Paper bags are the safest container choice across all boroughs. When in doubt, skip the plastic.

Need help with spring cleanup or yard maintenance?

A yard full of green waste after winter is a lot to deal with on your own. We handle spring cleanups, regular maintenance, and everything in between. Call us at 514-900-3867 to get your property ready for the season.