Garbage and Recycling

General Garbage Information

• Clear bags must be used for garbage disposal (no opaque bags permitted), with the exception of one opaque privacy bag (grocery bag size) in each large sized clear garbage bag/container or by itself if there is no other waste.
• Garbage must be out for pick up by 7:00 AM on your collection day
• Each household is allowed up to two containers
• Each commercial establishment is allowed up to four containers.
• Bag Tag is a tag or a sticker issued by the Township for $4.00 per tag and must be affixed to any bags of garbage and non-recyclable rubbish put out for curbside collection that is above and beyond the weekly collection limits. Bag Tags are available for purchase at the Selwyn Township Municipal Office.
  • There is a limit of one weekly Bag Tag.

Additional Resources

• Garbage By-law

As of January 1, 2025, Peterborough County’s recycling program is managed by Circular Materials.

• Recyclable material must be separated from your garbage.
• Sort your materials into two blue boxes, one for containers and one for papers.
  • Use as many boxes as needed, as long as containers and papers are in separate boxes.
• Recycling must be out for pick up by 7:00 AM on your collection day
• Keep recycling loose in blue boxes.
  • Bagged recycling will not be collected.
• Recycling is collected on all Private Roads. 

Starting January 1st, 2026 new items will be accepted for recycling Province wide.

In addition to the items you already recycle at the curbside, starting January 1st you can recycle:

• Deodorant sticks
• Toothpaste tubes
• Hand cream tubes
• Styrofoam trays and containers
• Flexible plastic packaging, including coffee bags, deli pouches, chip bags, bubble wrap, snack wrappers, cereal liner bags, and plastic gift bags

For more information, visit the Circular Materials website.

Electronics

There is a WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) bin located at the Smith Landfill Site. Acceptable materials include:

• Computers including all peripherals and cords
• Computer tablets
• Laptops
• All types of phones (corded, cordless, mobile, smart)
• Answering machines
• Pagers
• Radios
• Speakers
• Turntables
• TVs
• VCRs
• DVD players and Blu-ray players (no VCR tapes, CDs, DVDs)
• Cameras (digital, manual and video)
• Gaming devices and accessories (no game cartridges)

Remember to wipe any drives, etc. prior to dropping off your materials.

Mattresses and Box Springs

Mattresses and box springs must be taken to the Bensfort Road Landfill Site. There is a fee. 

Household Batteries

Household batteries can be dropped off at the Selwyn Township Municipal Office, Selwyn Public Library branches, the Lakefield-Smith Community Centre, the Ennismore Community Centre and the Smith Landfill Site.

Effective January 1, 2026, curbside blue box collection for Non-Eligible Sources (ie. industrial, commercial, and institutional properties) will be terminated. 

Instead of blue box collection, these Non-Eligible Source generators will be responsible for establishing and managing their own recycling. 

Additional details and disposal options can be found here.

For more information, please visit the Peterborough County website.

Peterborough County administers a curbside organics (green bin) program available to residents of Bridgenorth (see map). For more information, including what can and cannot go in your green bin, visit the Peterborough County website.

Composters, digesters and kitchen catchers are available for purchase at the Selwyn Township Municipal Office and at the Peterborough County Infrastructure Services Department Office (310 Armour Road, Peterborough).

• Digesters: $60.00
• Composters: $30.00 - sold out!
• Kitchen Catchers: $5.00 - sold out!

Not sure whether a composter or a digester is right for you? Check out our Composter vs. Digester Information Sheet

Leaf & Yard Waste Collection Schedule

Week A

Areas Served: Arnott and Gifford Drives, Bridgenorth, Emerald Isle, Ennismore (settlement), Terraview Heights, Woodland Acres, Youngstown

• October 6th -10th
• October 20th - 24th
• November 3rd - 7th
• November 17th - 21st

Week B

Areas Served: Lakefield

• October 13th - 17th 
• October 27th - 31st
• November 10th - 14th
• November 24th - 28th

Outside of the Collection Area?

For residents outside of the collection area, leaf and yard waste can be dropped off at the Smith Landfill Site free-of-charge during the Curbside Collection time frame only. 

*Note: Brush will NOT be accepted free-of-charge.

Municipal Hazardous or Special Waste (also called MHSW) does not belong in the garbage or blue box recycling, as it contains toxins that are harmful to human and environmental health.

Household Hazardous Waste Depot (HHWD) at the Smith Landfill Site is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from June 3rd, 2025 - August 30th, 2025.

Hazardous waste can also be taken to the Pido Road Hazardous Waste Depot

Visit the Landfill Site page.

The Waste Calendar includes helpful tips, information about the waste diversion initiatives available curbside and at the Smith Landfill, as well as important dates to keep in mind, such as tax payment due dates, etc. Waste diversion initiatives, when utilized by Selwyn Township residents and visitors, will reduce our carbon footprint while extending the life of our landfill.

Download the months of the Waste Calendar below!

• January 2026