Waste collection for businesses

On this page

Background

The City collects waste from businesses within small mixed-use buildings and institutional properties.

If you are a business, residential, institutional, or mixed-use property located in the downtown collection area, please visit our downtown waste collection page instead of this page.

Small mixed-use buildings

A small mixed-use building is a building containing six or less units with at least one residential dwelling unit and at least one non-residential use (e.g., a business). To be eligible for waste collection by the City, the following criteria must be met:

The property is located on a residential collection route;
Waste is separated into the three streams (organics, recyclables and garbage);
Each residential dwelling unit may receive up to one set of waste carts (240 litre grey and 360 litre blue for biweekly collection and 80 litre green for weekly collection), and
Each non-residential unit must request permission from the property owner to share the carts provided to a residential unit.

Institutional properties

For an institutional property (e.g., place of worship, not-for-profit community centre), the eligibility criteria states that:

The property is located on a residential collection route,
Waste is separated into the three streams (organics, recyclables and garbage), and
The institutional property may receive one set of waste carts (240 litre grey and 360 litre blue for biweekly collection and 80 litre green for weekly collection).

Applications for eligible customers

If your business meets the eligibility requirements noted above, here’s how to get started:

Submit a Waste Management Plan and Source Separation Commitment to [email protected] for approval

Once the City approves your application, you are required to:

Enter into a Waste Collection Service Agreement with the City and meet all agreement requirements (e.g., insurance)
Distribute a letter and promotional and educational materials about three stream sorting to residents, tenants, occupants and/or owners
Sort waste into three streams (organics, recyclables and garbage)

Alternative waste collection arrangements

If your property is unable to meet the eligibility criteria, or if you require waste collection beyond the level of service the City can provide, you will need to seek alternative waste collection arrangements through private contracts.

Resources

Frequently asked questions

My business does not have storage space for front end bins. Do private sector waste collectors provide cart collection service?

Yes, there are local private sector waste collection companies that provide cart (also called tote) waste collection services.

My business wants to participate in recycling and organics collection. Does the private sector offer this service?

Yes, there are local private sector waste collection companies that provide recycling and organics collection services. There is also a pilot underway with the Circular Innovation Council and The SEED for businesses to participate in an organics collection program to increase the economy of scales for small businesses.

My business pays taxes, why don’t I receive waste collection service?

The property tax system is based on the principle that all property owners share the cost of providing municipal services and programs for the entire community, regardless of whether an individual taxpayer makes use of a certain City service. The property tax system is not a user-pay system; all property owners (i.e., residential, business, commercial, industrial) contribute to the municipal waste management system regardless of whether municipal waste collection service is received or provided.

With respect to fairness and equity of service, any service over and above the current level of service supported by the current level of taxation, is in fact a service level increase. All taxes collected are distributed to meet the current program requirements. To expand collection at IC&I establishments that are currently not serviced is a service level increase and is not included in the current taxes paid by IC&I property owners. There are many competing service offerings, community needs and goals, and staff work to fit all these competing objectives into a finite budget, while also managing inflation and tax increases.

Property taxes are assessed by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) property assessment rather than by services provided or used.

Will the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) establishment receive a tax rebate if removed from City collection?

No. The City does not provide waste collection to most businesses, and it has never been the intention of the City to compete with private waste haulers. Property taxes are assessed by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) property assessment rather than by services provided or used.

Will the City provide additional service if my business is willing to pay a fee for waste collection and processing service?

The City does not provide a user fee for IC&I waste collection services that are beyond the established eligibility criteria. It has never been the City’s intention to compete with private waste haulers for waste collection at IC&I establishments.

Do the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) waste collection service standards apply to the downtown core?

The service level for waste collection in the downtown is also under review based on the recommendations from the 2021 Service Rationalization Report, as well as the 2021 Solid Waste Management Master Plan, being undertaken as part of the Downtown Infrastructure Revitalization project. Recommendations coming out of the review will be brought forward for Council consideration and approval.

For more information

Solid Waste Resources
519-767-0598; TTY: 519-826-9771
[email protected]

Guelph Waste app

Use the Guelph Waste app to sign up for email or phone reminders about your waste collection schedule.

Download the free mobile app for Apple or Google devices.