The City of Brampton is cracking down on residents who leave their garbage bins out too long or store them improperly, following city council’s recent approval of significantly increased fines.
During a June 18 committee meeting, council received a staff report outlining ongoing issues with waste receptacles being left at the curb past 8 p.m. on collection days or being stored on boulevards throughout the week. The report noted that these practices lead to blocked sidewalks, scattered litter, and visually unappealing residential areas. The city often receives repeat complaints, requiring bylaw officers to revisit the same locations multiple times.
As part of the approved amendments, Brampton council moved the related offences—such as placing garbage outside the permitted timeframe and failing to remove bins by the end of collection day—from the Refuse and Dumping Bylaw to the Administrative Penalties Bylaw. This change allows enforcement officers, including summer student staff, to issue fines on the spot without first issuing warnings or compliance orders.
The fine amounts have also more than doubled. The new structure imposes a $250 fine for a first offence, $500 for a second, and $750 for each subsequent offence. This is up from the previous penalties of $100, $200, and $300 respectively.
In 2024, the city received 1,557 complaints related to improper waste bin storage and issued 227 tickets, generating approximately $27,900 in fines. With the new fine schedule, staff project potential revenue could increase to around $48,700 annually.
City staff clarified that any revenue collected through the updated enforcement system will go to the Court Administration Division. They also indicated that they would continue monitoring revenues and recommend future budget adjustments as needed, to be presented for the mayor’s consideration.
This marks the second time in 2025 that Brampton council has increased fines related to garbage receptacles. In April, fines were also raised for overflowing bins and improper storage.
Looking ahead, Brampton is set to take over garbage collection services from the Region of Peel starting July 1, 2026. This transition is part of a broader regional service download awaiting final approval from the Ontario government, which also includes responsibilities for regional roads.