From May to the second week of November, the District collects yard waste for homes receiving the District’s curbside garbage collection service. Collection will be every-other-Monday. Depending on where you live. 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 2nd week of November. Kitimat homes that have garbage collection on Tuesday or Thursday will have their first collection on the first Monday, of May. Homes that have garbage collection on Wednesday or Friday will have their first collection on the second Monday of May 10.
Download a schedule for your yard 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 yard from stickers from City Hall, on the 3rd floor of the City Centre Mall (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:
| BACKYARD COMPOSTING |
| GRASSCYCLING |
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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. |
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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