Property Owners, Managers & Superintendents

The City of Hamilton considers the property owner or manager as the primary contact and lead for the waste collection services at your building(s). To ensure successful composting and recycling programs, and continued waste collection services, all owners should:

Update and notify the City with current information about the building’s contact by calling 905-546-2489 (CITY) or sending an email to [email protected]
Set up a central recycling and green bin area for tenants and superintendents.
Ensure the building’s waste management program complies with the Ontario Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07). The Fire Code can be viewed on the Government of Ontario e-laws website.
Work with new and existing superintendents to maintain the waste diversion programs that have been set up within the building.
Include a clause in tenant leases that stresses composting and recycling is a requirement.

Superintendent responsibilities

As a superintendent, the success of the waste diversion program in your building is dependent on your efforts. You are a key link in ensuring tenants successfully use the recycling blue carts and green bins.

All superintendents should:

Ensure that all blue carts and green bins are located according to the Ontario Fire Code and are in a common, accessible area to tenants.
Place bins at the designated set-out spot with all bins unlocked before 7 am on your scheduled pick-up day.
Work with the City to provide new and existing tenants with the recycling tools provided by the City.
Ensure promotional material remains posted and in good condition.
Monitor blue carts and green bins to ensure they are not contaminated. Blue carts and green bins that are contaminated will not be picked up.

Were your blue carts or green bins not collected because of contamination? Try to remove the unacceptable items and place the bins out for collection the following week.

Improve recycling at your building

Make it easy

Tips for how to make it easy:

If possible, provide blue boxes for tenants to use in common areas such as the laundry room, mail room, and lobby.
Make sure all blue carts and green bins are properly labelled to avoid confusion and reduce contamination.

Spread the word

Tips for how to get the word out:

Post the provided recycling posters in all common areas and the central recycling area to help tenants figure out what items go where.
Provide a newsletter with recycling tips as a reminder to help tenants.

Be engaged

Tips for how to be engaged:

Showing your support and effort encourages participation and shows your tenants that waste diversion is important.
Keep up-to-date on the latest program changes and news by calling us or visiting us online. Also, make yourself available to answer any questions your tenants may have about waste diversion at your building.

How we can help

The City of Hamilton is dedicated to providing its apartment and condominium residents with the information and materials necessary to use our garbage and recycling programs the best they can.

A list of FREE educational resources to help with sorting and recycling:

Sorting posters for green bin, blue bins and garbage
Garbage and Recycling Guides for apartment tenants
Blue bags for papers and containers
Mini green bins
Apartment and Condominium Reference Guide for Property Owners, Managers and Superintendents
Sorting stickers for green bins and blue bins

Would you like to order any of these materials?
Send an email to [email protected] or call 905-546-2489.

Examples of recycling materials for Property Owners, Managers & Superintendents

View and print the updated multi-residential sorting poster to display in your buildings:

If you have any other questions or are looking for some assistance implementing the recycling and green bin programs in your building let us know and we would be happy to meet with you.

Apartment Waste Presentation

Created for residents of apartment buildings and condominuims, the presentation helps residents understand the importance of proper sorting, and the benefits of recycling and composting. Property owners, managers or superintendents can request a presentation for their building residents by visiting Waste Education in the Community.

Get additional tips for

COMPOSTING, RECYCLING AND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE

The Green Bin Organics Program allows tenants to put organics such as fruit, vegetable and meat scraps, paper towels, coffee grinds out for separate collection along with garbage and recycling.

Keep em’ clean. By keeping your green bins clean, you will reduce odours and make composting a more pleasant experience for your tenants.
Smelly green bins? Line your green bin with a paper leaf and yard bag or layer with newspaper to help absorb odour-causing moisture.

Remember: Non-compostable items like glass, metal, and plastic do not belong in the green bin!

Running a successful recycling program at your building reduces the amount of garbage you send to the landfill.

Remember to:

Keep containers blue carts and papers blue carts separate and properly labelled to avoid confusion.
Frequently check www.hamilton.ca/waste to keep up-to-date on the list of items that can be recycled.
To inquire about more bins or more frequent collection, call us at 905-546-2489.

Big things like furniture and other household items are picked up all year upon request. Call 905-546-2489 at least one week before you want your bulk garbage picked up.

Tips for bulk garbage pick-up:

Only the superintendent, building manager, or owner can book bulk garbage pick-up.
A maximum of eight items will be picked up each week.
Each item must weigh less than 90 kg (200 lbs) and be no longer than 1.2 m (4 ft).
Avoid illegal dumping by encouraging your residents to approach you for proper disposal.
Wrap and seal all mattresses and all box springs in plastic/shrink wrap or clear tarps. Seal cracks and openings with tape.
Items with visible signs of bedbugs and/or bio-hazardous materials (i.e. bodily fluids) must be wrapped and sealed in plastic or they will not be collected.

HHW is dangerous and should never be put in your garbage, recycling carts, or green bins. These items are usually marked with one of the following hazard symbols.

It’s important to take your building’s HHW to one of Hamilton’s Community Recycling Centres for proper disposal.

Tenants are putting items in the wrong bin.

Make sure that the bins are properly labelled.
Monitor your bins daily to limit the need to sort the bins on your collection day.
Post the City-provided recycling posters or make other signage for your specific problems. (e.g. Don’t put plastic bags in the green bins).

There is a language barrier for the tenants.

Try to find tenants that speak the same language to act as liaisons for passing along information.
Use visual aids and graphics to help with communication.

Recycling and green bin participation is low.

Try to uncover any barriers that tenants face. Are your bins too far away? Are all tenants aware of the programs that are in place? Is the recycling area accessible to everyone?
Encourage tenants to reduce the amount of garbage they throw out by posting information in a newsletter, poster, or bulletin board.

The recycling area has a foul odour and / or pests.

Encourage tenants to rinse their bottles, cans, and jars before recycling them.
Layer the green bin with paper to absorb odour-causing moisture.
Clean your bins on a regular basis.

Date modified

March 06, 2023