Free compost is available - just around the corner! High-quality, screened compost suitable for flower beds and lawns is available at no charge.
Where?: On John Street Road (east of the old landfill site entrance)
Hours?: Monday to Friday- 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Saturday- 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
- weather permitting -
Bring a shovel and some bags or containers and take some home. While quantities last.
Call Infrastructure & Operations at 625-2195
LOCATION
The entrance to the new facility is at 5405 Mapleward Road, between Oliver Road and John Street Road. The entrance to the old John Street Landfill site is now permanently closed. The upgraded City of Thunder Bay Solid Waste & Recycling Facility opened September 2009. The facility reflects our community’s commitment to sustainable and progressive management of waste and recycling. Enhancements include improved traffic flow and new directional signage, a new administration centre, weigh scale kiosk and expanded recycling and household hazardous waste areas.
Important Reminder! When planning a visit to the landfill site be sure to load your vehicle with the 'unloading' process in mind. See below for a listing and the locations of the various laydown areas.
Always take the time to sufficiently tarp and secure your load before you leave home. Unsecure loads are subject to fines through the Highway Traffic Act.

Upon entering the site from Mapleward Road, traffic is split into two streams – private vehicles and commercial vehicles. Private vehicles first travel through the Household Recycling, Household Hazardous Waste and E-Waste Depots before arriving at the kiosk to be weighed at the scale. You do not have to cross the scales and there is no charge if you are only using these areas.
All vehicles proceeding to the Public Waste Disposal Area or the landfill face must stop at the weigh scale kiosk before proceeding onto the site. In compliance with Provincial Government Regulations, all vehicles coming to the Landfill Site must be weighed in and out. Vehicles are charged on exit based on the weight of the load they leave at the site.
Tipping Fees as of April 2012:
Tipping fees for loads weighing less than 140 kg is $7 (unchanged from 2011).
Tipping fee for non-hazardous solid waste over 140 kg is charged at a rate of $53.18 per tonne.
Tipping fee for non-hazardous contaminated soil - $43.85 (no change from 2011).
Revenues from fees finance the operation of the site and the costs associated with recycling programs. Correct change is appreciated. Payment options include cash, interac, MasterCard or Visa. Fees for approved contaminated soil are $43.85 per tonne.
Before leaving home, please sort your load so that you can easily deposit non-garbage items into the following areas and appropriate bins at the landfill site:
If recyclable or compostable material is brought in with regular garbage, it must be clearly separated from the garbage on the load.
Chargeable loads (over 126 kg.) can be paid for by:
Any scrap metal can be recycled. Any item with metal in it should be placed in the "Metals" bin. Watch for signs in the Public Waste Disposal Area. Freezers, air conditioners and refrigerators must be tagged CFC free. See note under Materials Banned. Only garbage generated within City of Thunder Bay boundaries is accepted at the landfill site.
There is no longer a surcharge for the disposal of scrap tires. A drop-off bin for tires is located in the Public Waste Disposal area. Residents can also visit the Ontario Tire Stewardship website at www.ontarioTS.ca for more information on tire collection locations.
Designed to optimize the management of solid waste and emphasize recycling, the new Thunder Bay Solid Waste & Recycling Facility is more customer friendly. Residential customers no longer have to travel up to the garbage face to dispose of waste. The site’s design also makes it safer and more efficient for commercial customers. Enhancements include improved traffic flow and new directional signage, a new administration centre, weigh scale kiosk and automated commercial scales.
Upon entering the site from Mapleward Road, traffic is split into two streams – private and commercial. Private vehicles first travel through the Household Recycling, E-Waste Depot and Household Hazardous Waste Depot, before arriving at the kiosk to be weighed at the scale. Their next stop is the transfer station area which consists of huge, at-grade bins that separate metals, bulky items, soil/clean fill, clean wood and garbage. Residential vehicles including cars, vans and half ton trucks move from bin to bin, depositing their waste into the appropriate area. Attendants are on hand to provide advice; however, customers must separate their loads before leaving home.
Visit the Household Hazardous Waste Depot information webpage for details on safe disposal of household hazardous waste.
Commercial vehicles, including City waste packers, proceed directly to automated scales upon entering the site. This new traffic flow improves efficiency, reduces wait times for all users, and encourages recycling and proper waste management.
Map and handout on how to use the automated scales for Registered Commercial Vehicles
Adobe PDF, 2 pages, 1.36 KB
‘Green’ components of the new site were developed using the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design principles. Features such as solar wall cladding, energy-efficient equipment and water-conserving plumbing were used to reduce environmental impact. The City has partnered with Thunder Bay Hydro to build a power generating station and heat recovery system that will use the methane gas produced from decaying organic materials as fuel.
Attention Non-Profit Organizations: You may be eligible to waive the tipping fee.
***Any scrap metal can be recycled. Any item with metal in it should be placed in the "Metals" bin. Watch for signs in the Public Waste Disposal Area. Freezers, air conditioners and refrigerators must be tagged CFC free. See note under Materials Banned. ***