If it isn’t hazardous, we almost always take it. A few items need a quick check first. Here’s what we can’t carry, why, and where to take each one in Metro Vancouver, most of them for free.
It isn’t about effort. These items need a licence, special transport or a dedicated facility, and putting them in a regular load puts our crew, the next facility and the environment at risk.
Asbestos removal needs a licensed asbestos abatement contractor (required in BC since January 2024). Oil tanks need a fire department permit and a tank contractor.
Fuel, propane, solvents, corrosives and lithium batteries are regulated dangerous goods. Carrying them mixed in with furniture is unsafe and not allowed without the right training, packaging and paperwork.
Metro Vancouver bans hazardous and stewardship items from garbage loads, with an $80 minimum surcharge when inspectors find them. Most have their own free drop-off program instead.
Compressed gas, fuel and lithium batteries can ignite when crushed in a truck. Sharps and biohazards put our crew and the next facility at risk.
Wherever you are in Metro Vancouver: your nearest recycling and waste centre takes many household hazardous items free, like paint and propane tanks.
Latex and oil paint, stain, thinner, varnish, spray cans
Why we can’t take it
Paint, stain and solvents are banned from Metro Vancouver garbage, and solvents are flammable, so Spartan Junk Removal can’t take them. Drop leftover paint off for free at a Product Care paint depot or a Metro Vancouver recycling and waste centre.
Jerry cans, motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze, lawnmower fuel
Why we can’t take it
Flammable liquids are dangerous goods and banned from garbage.
BBQ tanks, camping cylinders, helium and oxygen tanks
Why we can’t take it
Compressed gas can explode when crushed. Cylinders are specifically banned at transfer stations. (We take the BBQ once the tank is off.)
Where to take it
Vermiculite, popcorn ceilings, pipe wrap, and drywall or vinyl and tile flooring from before 1990 with no asbestos test
Why we can’t take it
Removing asbestos is regulated work that needs a licensed asbestos contractor. Drywall and vinyl or tile flooring from before 1990 need a lab test first; once the test comes back clear, we can take them.
Buried or basement oil tanks
Why we can’t take it
Removal falls under the BC Fire Code and needs a fire department permit and a qualified tank contractor.
Where to take it
Car and boat batteries, e-bike and scooter packs, damaged lithium batteries
Why we can’t take it
Batteries are banned from garbage and lithium packs are a fire risk in a loaded truck. A few household batteries (AA, AAA, 9V), taped and bagged separately, are a different story: ask us first.
Smoke detectors, CO alarms
Why we can’t take it
Some contain a small radioactive source; they are a stewardship product with a free return program.
Where to take it
Dry chemical and CO2 extinguishers
Why we can’t take it
Pressurized containers that can burst when crushed.
Where to take it
Needles, medications, blood or bodily fluids
Why we can’t take it
Biomedical waste is banned from garbage and needs specialist handling.
Where to take it
Ammunition, guns, fireworks, marine flares
Why we can’t take it
Explosives are federally regulated and must never go in a waste load.
Where to take it
Not a flat no: a small amount, packed safely, is often fine. Call or text before your pickup and we’ll tell you.
Bleach, drain cleaner, pool chemicals, weed killer, fertilizer
Why we ask first
Corrosive and toxic products are hazardous waste, so we can’t always take them. Depending on the type, the amount and the situation, we sometimes can. Ask us first: tell us what you have, roughly how much, and the circumstances.
Tube lights, compact fluorescent bulbs
Why we ask first
They contain mercury and are banned from garbage. Intact tubes and bulbs kept separate are often fine; broken ones are not. Ask us first.
Fridge contents, compost, pet waste, dead animals
Why we ask first
Food scraps and animal waste are banned from garbage. A few sealed bags found during a cleanout are usually fine; larger amounts are not. Ask us first.
If we can’t take it
Rules and drop-off programs last checked in November 2026 against Metro Vancouver, Product Care, Call2Recycle and city sources. Programs change, so call ahead. More detail in our Metro Vancouver disposal guide.
Furniture, appliances, mattresses, electronics, yard waste, renovation debris: 66 items on our list that we take, and plenty that aren’t on it. A few, like boats or mould-damaged items, just need a quick check first.
Search everything we takeClearing a whole garage, home or office?
Skip the list. Book a 100% free on-site quote: we walk through everything with you, give you one estimate for the lot, and only start when you say go.
Yes, once the propane tank is off. We take the BBQ; the tank goes free to a Metro Vancouver recycling and waste centre or a propane exchange.
Empty, dry cans with the lid off are fine. Cans with paint left in them go to a Product Care paint depot, which is free.
We set it aside, show you, and tell you exactly where it can go. We never hide it in a load.
Ask us first. A few household batteries taped and bagged, intact tubes kept separate, or a few sealed bags of food found during a cleanout are often fine. Car batteries and lithium e-bike packs are not.
A few things that aren’t hazardous still need a quick check: boats, trailers and RVs (ownership papers and fluids drained), car parts, scooters and motorcycles (fluids and batteries out), saunas, and mould-damaged items. Our What we take page marks each one “Ask first”.
Book a 100% free on-site quote. You get an upfront estimate before anything moves, and we only start when you say go.
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