Unsupervised Dumpster Sites

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The District Municipality of Muskoka’s Bin Site Transition Plan was a multi-year initiative to transition Muskoka’s previously unstaffed and unsupervised dumpster sites to long-term, alternate waste collection services that are licensed and environmentally sustainable.

With guidance given by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), this transition involved replacing community bin sites with Ministry-approved waste collection alternatives, such as curbside and lakeside waste collection, along with the establishment of new drop-off depots.

The Final Annual Report (2025) for the project was presented to the Joint Engineering and Public Works and Finance and Corporate Services Committee in January 2026.

Current lakeside waste collection and existing services

Some communities have already made the transition away from dumpster bins to new lakeside waste collection servicing. Learn more about which community is receiving Lakeside waste collection and the collection event schedule for each community.

You can also learn more about curbside garbage collection for eligible properties, green bin organics and recycling.

12 Mile Depot Closure

12 Mile Depot located at 1200 Twelve Mile Bay Road in the Township of Georgian Bay will be closed on November 3, 2025, in accordance with Township of Georgian Bay – Alternative Waste Management Scenario 3.

New drop-off depot updates

New public drop-off depots are being established to support communities once serviced by bin sites. The depots will be licensed, fully secured, and staffed by an on-site attendant during operational hours, in accordance with MECP regulations.

View the latest updates to new depots or view the most recent District Staff Report around the new depots’ development to learn about facility updates see depot facility below:

Southwood Depot

  • Supports the Nine Mile Marina community in Muskoka Lakes.
  • The District has received Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for the Southwood depot. Development of the site will start in 2025, with a proposed opening date in Spring 2026, as approved through the 2026 Rate Supported Budget.

Housey's Rapids Depot

  • Housey's Rapids Depot is now open!

    Located at 1990 Housey's Rapids Rd. in Gravenhurst, the depot is open during summer hours until the lsat Sunday in October on: Mondays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

    Housey's Rapids depot accepts household bagged garbage, green bin organics and recycling only.

Lake Muskoka Depot

  • Supports the Lake Muskoka community.
  • The District has received Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for the Southwood depot. Opening date yet to be announced. If the depot is not ready by the time the dumpsters are removed, Lakeside Waste Collection will be available in your community at the new waste drop-off depot location (or alternate site).

Other depot sites

  • The service level across the District's waste drop-off facilities network is being evaluated through the District's Solid Waste Master Plan (SWMP).
  • Consideration for new depots to support the Skeleton Lake and Hwy 118E communities will be completed under the scope of the SWMP.


The District Municipality of Muskoka’s Bin Site Transition Plan was a multi-year initiative to transition Muskoka’s previously unstaffed and unsupervised dumpster sites to long-term, alternate waste collection services that are licensed and environmentally sustainable.

With guidance given by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), this transition involved replacing community bin sites with Ministry-approved waste collection alternatives, such as curbside and lakeside waste collection, along with the establishment of new drop-off depots.

The Final Annual Report (2025) for the project was presented to the Joint Engineering and Public Works and Finance and Corporate Services Committee in January 2026.

Current lakeside waste collection and existing services

Some communities have already made the transition away from dumpster bins to new lakeside waste collection servicing. Learn more about which community is receiving Lakeside waste collection and the collection event schedule for each community.

You can also learn more about curbside garbage collection for eligible properties, green bin organics and recycling.

12 Mile Depot Closure

12 Mile Depot located at 1200 Twelve Mile Bay Road in the Township of Georgian Bay will be closed on November 3, 2025, in accordance with Township of Georgian Bay – Alternative Waste Management Scenario 3.

New drop-off depot updates

New public drop-off depots are being established to support communities once serviced by bin sites. The depots will be licensed, fully secured, and staffed by an on-site attendant during operational hours, in accordance with MECP regulations.

View the latest updates to new depots or view the most recent District Staff Report around the new depots’ development to learn about facility updates see depot facility below:

Southwood Depot

  • Supports the Nine Mile Marina community in Muskoka Lakes.
  • The District has received Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for the Southwood depot. Development of the site will start in 2025, with a proposed opening date in Spring 2026, as approved through the 2026 Rate Supported Budget.

Housey's Rapids Depot

  • Housey's Rapids Depot is now open!

    Located at 1990 Housey's Rapids Rd. in Gravenhurst, the depot is open during summer hours until the lsat Sunday in October on: Mondays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

    Housey's Rapids depot accepts household bagged garbage, green bin organics and recycling only.

Lake Muskoka Depot

  • Supports the Lake Muskoka community.
  • The District has received Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for the Southwood depot. Opening date yet to be announced. If the depot is not ready by the time the dumpsters are removed, Lakeside Waste Collection will be available in your community at the new waste drop-off depot location (or alternate site).

Other depot sites

  • The service level across the District's waste drop-off facilities network is being evaluated through the District's Solid Waste Master Plan (SWMP).
  • Consideration for new depots to support the Skeleton Lake and Hwy 118E communities will be completed under the scope of the SWMP.


Discussions: All (1) Open (1)

  • Have your say

    over 5 years ago
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    The District of Muskoka is seeking your input as we transition the bin sites. 

    The purpose of initiating an Alternate Servicing Study is to inform the Bin Site Transition Plan by assessing waste collection alternatives for the District’s communities currently served by 88 existing unlicensed bin sites. The Study will be used to identify alternate waste collection services that are compliant with the Environmental Protection Act, 1990 (EPA), in keeping with the District’s Strategic Priorities and future Waste Management Strategy, and reflects the unique waste collection service needs of each 'bin site community'.

    The Terms of Reference outlines the goals, objectives and key actions that will guide the work of the Bin Site Transition Plan from 2020-2023. Please give us your feedback.

    Go to discussion
Page last updated: 04 Feb 2026, 06:57 AM