Concrete, brick, and dirt are the heaviest materials most Ottawa homeowners ever need to dispose of — and the ones people most often overpay to get rid of. The trick is knowing that these "inert" materials go through a completely separate, cheaper disposal stream called clean fill. Put them in a mixed-waste bin and you pay full mixed-waste rates. Keep them clean and separate, and you use Base Bins' clean fill service at a lower cost. This guide explains exactly how it works.
What Is Clean Fill?
Clean fill is uncontaminated earth and masonry material that can be recycled or reused for land grading and construction, rather than landfilled. Because it's processed at specialized facilities with lower costs, those savings get passed to you. Base Bins accepts the following as clean fill:
- Concrete — broken, crushed, or whole
- Asphalt and paving materials
- Dirt and topsoil (uncontaminated)
- Clay and gravel
- Sand
- Brick and block
- Stone and rock
The keyword is uncontaminated. Clean fill has to be exactly that — clean. The moment it's mixed with wood, drywall, plastic, metal, or general garbage, it stops being clean fill and gets charged as mixed waste.
Why Clean Fill Is Cheaper
Mixed construction and demolition waste goes to a landfill or transfer station and is charged accordingly. Clean fill goes to a recycling or land-grading facility that actually wants the material — crushed concrete becomes road base, clean dirt becomes fill for other sites. The disposal cost is lower, and Base Bins passes that saving directly through on clean-fill-only loads.
The other advantage is the weight allowance. Concrete and dirt are dense — a small volume weighs a lot. Base Bins' 8-yard bin includes up to 8 tons of weight for $240 on a 3-day rental, which covers most residential clean fill projects without any additional dump fee.
Clean Fill Pricing
| Bin Size | Rental Period | Price | Included Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-Yard | 3-Day | $240 | Up to 8 tons |
| 15-Yard | 3-Day | $260 | Up to 8 tons |
For clean fill, the 8-yard bin is almost always the right choice. Because clean fill weighs more than mixed waste, you'll usually hit the weight limit long before you fill the volume of a bigger bin — so paying for a larger bin just means paying for empty space you can't safely load. See the full breakdown on our pricing page.
Why You Should Never Fill a Big Bin With Concrete
This is the single most important thing to understand about heavy debris. A 30-yard bin full of concrete would weigh far more than any truck can legally haul — it physically cannot be picked up. That's why clean fill goes in an 8-yard (or at most a 15-yard) bin, and why you load heavy material into a small footprint. Trying to fill a large bin with concrete just leaves you with a bin that can't be lifted and an overage problem.
Rule of thumb: heavy material, small bin, load it low.
Common Clean Fill Projects in Ottawa
- Driveway removal and replacement — old concrete or asphalt driveways.
- Patio and walkway demolition — pavers, slabs, and stone.
- Foundation excavation — dirt and clay from digging.
- Basement underpinning — excavated soil.
- Retaining wall removal — block, stone, and concrete.
- Landscaping regrades — surplus soil, gravel, and sand.
- Shed or garage slab removal — broken concrete pads.
- Fire pit or old planter demolition — brick and block.
What Disqualifies a Load From Clean Fill
To keep the lower rate, a clean fill load has to stay pure. These contaminate a load and bump it to mixed-waste pricing:
- Rebar in concrete — small amounts of embedded rebar are usually fine; ask when you book. Loose metal is not.
- Wood — form boards, stakes, fence posts set in concrete.
- Plastic — vapour barrier, landscape fabric, tarps.
- Drywall or plaster — gypsum is not inert.
- Garbage of any kind — coffee cups, wrappers, bags.
- Painted or treated concrete in large amounts — ask first.
- Contaminated soil — dirt from a site with fuel spills or industrial history needs testing and specialized disposal, not a clean fill bin.
If your project produces both clean fill and mixed debris — say, a patio demo plus the old wood pergola over it — the cheapest approach is usually two streams: a clean fill bin for the masonry and a separate mixed-waste bin for the wood. Ask us and we'll help you split it.
How to Load a Clean Fill Bin
- Keep it separate from the start. Don't toss a coffee cup or a broken shovel in "just this once." One contaminant can reclassify the whole load.
- Break large pieces down. Concrete slabs load and settle better broken into manageable chunks.
- Load evenly and low. Heavy material should sit flat across the floor of the bin, not piled at one end. Don't fill above the walls — heavy loads must stay level for safe, legal transport.
- Watch the weight, not the volume. With clean fill you'll reach the 8-ton limit well before the bin looks full. That's normal and expected.
- Ask about mixed loads before you start. A quick call saves a reclassification fee later.
Can You Recycle Concrete Yourself?
For very small amounts, some Ottawa aggregate yards and recycling facilities accept homeowner drop-offs of clean concrete — but you need a truck or trailer that can carry the weight, and most half-ton pickups are over their payload limit with surprisingly little concrete. For anything beyond a few wheelbarrows, a clean fill bin delivered to your driveway is safer and usually cheaper once you factor in truck rental and multiple trips.
How Base Bins Handles Clean Fill
- Dedicated clean fill pricing on concrete, dirt, asphalt, and brick-only loads.
- 8-ton weight allowance that covers most residential heavy-material projects with no extra dump fee.
- Driveway-friendly 8-yard bins sized for heavy loads and standard Ottawa driveways.
- Same-day and next-day delivery across Ottawa, Nepean, Kanata, Orleans, Gloucester, Stittsville, and Barrhaven.
- Honest advice on mixed loads so you don't get surprised by a reclassification.
- Fully insured — $2M liability, WSIB compliant, licensed hauler.
Bottom Line
Concrete, brick, asphalt, and dirt are heavy — but disposing of them doesn't have to be expensive. Keep the material clean and uncontaminated, load it into an 8-yard bin, watch the weight rather than the volume, and use the clean fill rate. That's how Ottawa homeowners and contractors get heavy debris gone for less.
Call (613) 518-1508 or request a free quote. Tell us what you're demolishing and we'll confirm whether it qualifies for clean fill pricing before your bin arrives.
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Disclaimer: All prices mentioned in this article are provided for general reference and informational purposes only. These prices are not fixed and may vary depending on facts, market conditions, location, time, availability, or other relevant factors. Actual prices may change without prior notice.