Changes to Kitimat's waste collection services have begun.
For information on the changes, and to find the schedule for collection of your yard waste, check our Way Less Waste page.
Garbage Collection Information
When will my garbage be picked up?
To find your garbage collection day:
- To minimize attraction of bears and other wildlife, garbage containers must not be placed at curbside before 4:30 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. Collection containers need to be at the curb by 8:00 a.m. to ensure that they are collected.
- Garbage must be stored in a bear proof enclosure until garbage pickup day.
- Garbage is limited to a maximum of 3 containers of garbage per week.
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Please do not put yard waste in your garbage. It can be set out for yard waste collection. If you have excess garbage, it can be brought to the landfill during operating hours.
- Garbage must be put into plastic containers (maximum 121 L in volume). Containers slightly larger than 121 L can still be used for collection, but the contents must not be greater than 121 L. Anything over this volume may not be collected.
- All containers must have a removeable lid. Please avoid using containers with lids attached with a hinge as these are problematic for the collection crew to empty.
- To ensure the safety of the collection crew, containers set out for collection cannot weigh more than 23 kg (50 lb). Containers more than this weight will not be emptied and will be left at the curb.
- Sharp objects such as needles and glass require special attention and must be packaged in an unbreakable container. Thank you for helping us keep our waste management crew safe!
- All waste or material of a small or fly-away nature, such as hair, dry ashes, sawdust, woodchips, must be secured in a plastic or paper bag and placed in a garbage can.
- Missed collection or have additional questions? Please contact our collection contractor, Geier Waste at 250-632-4689.
- For a link to the District of Kitimat "Solid Waste and Collection and Disposal By-Laws" click here.
Residential Curbside Yard Waste Collection
Beginning in May 2021, a new collection program for yard waste will begin for homes receiving the District’s curbside garbage collection service. Collection will be every-other-Monday. Depending on where you live, your first yard waste pick up will be on either May 3rd or May 10th, 2021. All of the collected yard waste will be composted at the Kitimat landfill. For more on how to prepare your yard waste for collection, please read the section on yard waste collection below.
When will my yard waste be picked up?
Collection of yard waste will be provided every-other-Monday until the fall. Kitimat homes that have garbage collection on Tuesday or Thursday will have their first collection on Monday, May 3rd. Homes that have garbage collection on Wednesday or Friday will have their first collection Monday, May 10th.
Download a list of all your 2021 yard waste collection dates by clicking HERE.
Please set your containers out for collection by 8:00 a.m. on your collection day. To reduce the potential of attracting animals, do not set out containers the night before.
Yard waste includes:
- Grass clippings
- Leaves
- Non-invasive weeds (learn what to do with invasive species below)
- Flowers
- Plants
- Excess tree fruit (remove extra tree fruit so that it doesn’t attract bears into the community)
- Halloween pumpkins (please remove candles and tea lights)
- PLEASE NOTE: Small branches, twigs and prunings must be cut to fit into the collection container and cannot be more that 12 mm (1/2 inch) in diameter and 4 ft (1.2 m) in length.
Please do NOT include animal feces, food waste, plant pots, rocks, soil or plastic in your waste containers. Inclusion of these items may result in having your yard waste not collected.
- Yard waste must be put into plastic containers (maximum 121 L in volume) OR in paper yard waste bags (maximum 121 L in volume). Plastic bags are NOT allowed for yard waste collection, even if they are labeled as compostable or biodegradable.
- A maximum of four containers (plastic cans or paper bags) are allowed per collection.
- To help the collection crew identify your yard waste containers, please place a label on the container indicating that it contains yard waste. Yard waste stickers can be obtained for free (for a limited time and while stock lasts) at the District of Kitimat office. You may pick up or call to have more mailed to you (Please limit your request for stickers to four/4).
- Paper yard waste bags are available at most hardware stores and grocery stores in Kitimat and Terrace.
- Containers must be set out for collection by 8:00 a.m. on your scheduled collection day.
- To ensure the safety of the collection crew, containers (plastic cans and bags) set out for collection must not weigh more than 23 kg (50 lbs). Containers more than this weight may not be emptied and may be left at the curb.
- If you have questions about yard waste collection, please call our collection contractor, Geier Waste at 250-632-4689.
Have extra yard waste? You can bring extra yard waste to the landfill for composting at no charge. You may also want to consider other ways to manage yard waste:
| GRASSCYCLING |
| Collecting and removing the grass clippings is not only unnecessary, it may in fact be counterproductive to growing a healthy lawn. The clippings, when left in place after cutting the grass, will provide a ready source of fertilizer while helping the soil retain water which promotes root growth and a healthy lawn.
The simple practice of leaving clippings on the lawn after mowing is called “grasscycling”. There are a few tips to successful grasscycling, and when done properly, clippings quickly decompose and return nutrients to the soil naturally.
To grasscycle properly: 1. Cut your grass when it’s dry. Wet grass is heavier and the blades do not stand up uniformly or cut as cleanly as when the grass is dry. Wet grass clippings clump together and do not disperse as evenly as dry clippings. Also in wet conditions the ground is softer and the weight of your mower on the wheels can develop thin ruts through your lawn which can collect water. 2. Cut your grass regularly. A good rule is to cut no more than one-third of the grass height at any one mowing. Cutting off more than one-third at a time can stop roots from growing and require more frequent watering during dry summers to keep the grass alive. In addition, the one-third rule produces smaller clippings that disappear quickly by filtering down to the soil surface. 3. Cut your grass with a sharp blade. Sharp blades cut the grass cleanly and that helps ensure rapid healing and regrowth. Dull blades tear and bruise the grass. The wounded grass becomes weakened and is less able to prevent invading weeds and recover from disease. 4. Leave the grass clippings where they fall. At first glance, it will appear that the lawn needs raking, since the fresh cut clipping are on top of the lawn. But these short clippings quickly fall between the standing grass blades and disappear from sight. That’s all there is to it. Grasscycling is a win-win practice that enriches your lawn while reducing lawn maintenance.
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| BACKYARD COMPOSTING |
| Composting at Home
Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 30-40 percent of what we throw away and could be composted instead. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Composting is one of the best things you can do to tackle climate change. On this page: Composting BasicsAll composting requires three basic ingredients:
Your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens. You should also alternate layers of organic materials of different-sized particles. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green materials provide nitrogen, and the water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter.
What to Compost
What Not to Compost and WhyX Cedar wood because cedar is a natural insecticide. In significant volumes it can be harmful to the organisms in your backyard composter. X Coal or charcoal ash X Dairy products (e.g., butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt) and eggs* X Diseased or insect-ridden plants X Fats, grease, lard, or oils* X Meat or fish bones and scraps* X Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter) X Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides * These items WILL be included in the food waste collection program starting in Fall 2021.
Benefits of Composting
How to Compost at HomeThe Compost Education Centre located in Victoria BC has a great how-to sheet on how to compost at home. (hyperlink to: https://compost.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1-Backyard-Composting.pdf)For more options for managing organic waste, the Compost Education Centre has prepared additional factsheets that you can access here. (Hyperlink to https://compost.bc.ca/education/factsheets/)We thank the Capital Regional District for funding this great resource on all things composting.
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Reducing Interactions with Wildlife
They have the nose to find it, and the memories to come back for more. Help prevent bears and other wildlife from becoming a problem in your neighbourhood:
• Put garbage out the morning of your collection (by 8:00 am and not the night before).
• Clean waste collection containers regularly.
• Store your containers in a secure location: a locked garage or shed.
• Keep your BBQ clean; store pet food indoors; take bird feeders down during bear season.
• Pick fruit from trees as soon as it is ripe; remove all fallen fruit from the ground daily.
Invasive Species (how to manage them)
Invasive species are not to be taken lightly! Invasive species can threaten biodiversity, increase soil erosion, and can even destroy infrastructure like concrete and asphalt.
Please do NOT dispose of any invasive plant by dumping trimmings or pulled plants in your yard, in the bush, or elsewhere. Proper disposal is required to help prevent further spread.
What to do if you have invasive species on your property?
- Remove it (preferably including the roots) and put it in a plastic bag.
- If you just have a little, put it in your curbside garbage can. The goal is for it to be buried in the landfill in a bag.
- You can also bring it directly to the landfill (let the attendant know that you have invasive weeds and they will direct you to where to deposit it).
- Do NOT put invasive species in with your yard waste.
What are some invasive plants to watch out for?
The Northwest Invasive Plant Council targets a variety of invasive plants for management. Some examples include:
- Scotch thistle
- Japanese knotweed
- Common burdock
- Chicory
- English ivy
- Gorse
- Giant hogweed
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