Waste and recycling collection to shift to biweekly schedule in Laval starting April 2026
The City of Laval has announced on January 9, that, as of April 1, 2026, household garbage collection (black bin) will take place every two weeks across the city. At the same time, the collection of recyclable materials (blue bin) will also move to a biweekly frequency, alternating with garbage pickup.
This adjustment aligns Laval with a province-wide change introduced by the Quebec government as part of the modernization of selective collection, and with practices already in place in many large municipalities within the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal. As early as 2020, 62 of the 82 CMM member municipalities were already offering garbage collection once every two weeks or less, including Longueuil, Terrebonne, Blainville and Mascouche.
According to the Ville de Laval, coordinating garbage and recycling collections on an alternating schedule will help optimize operations while making the transition easier for residents.
“Laval is joining other major Quebec cities in an eco-responsible change that has become unavoidable. We know this represents a significant shift in daily habits, and we will closely monitor the situation to ensure the transition goes smoothly and that residents are well supported,” said Ray Khalil, Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee.
Environmental and financial objectives
The City indicates that optimizing garbage collection is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate operational and transportation savings estimated at 22 percent. The volume of waste sent to landfill sites is also expected to decline.
This change is part of Laval’s broader objective of reducing waste generation to 200 kg per resident per year. In 2024, the average stood at 227 kg per person, according to municipal data tied to the Laval Residual Materials Management Strategy.
A transition already underway
Municipal officials describe the new schedule as a continuation of measures introduced over the past several years to reduce landfill-bound waste. Since 2021, Laval has implemented a series of actions, including:
- the introduction of standardized bins
- monthly bulky item collection
- a ban on single-use plastics
- expanded services such as an ecocentre, a dry materials drop-off area and special collections
More recently, the City adopted a bylaw making waste sorting mandatory and launched a pilot project for bulky item collection by reservation. In 2024, the full rollout of the brown bin for organic waste in residential areas marked what the City describes as a major step toward more sustainable waste management.
Supporting residents through the change
A municipal survey conducted in 2024 found that 74.6 percent of Laval residents reported having already taken concrete steps to reduce the amount of waste sent to the black bin, or being in the process of doing so. The same survey indicated that 66.1 percent of residents actively participate year-round in blue and brown bin collection.
Building on these results, the City has increased its awareness and education efforts since last summer. Additional measures are also being deployed in denser residential settings, including adjustments to collection equipment in buildings with 24 units or more, support for property owners, and the conversion of some buildings to container-based systems.
Residents may also request a different size blue bin, or a second one if needed, as sorting habits evolve.
The City notes that further details and guidance will be shared in the coming months to help households adapt to the new collection schedule ahead of April 2026.
