Curbside carts

Curbside collection service is billed three times per year as part of utility billing (along with water and sewer service). The annual fee is divided into the three billing periods.

The base rate for automated garbage and organics/yard waste collection plus your existing recycling service (recycling is not moving to automated service at this time) will be $153/year per household, based on 80L carts for both. This is billed three times a year on utility bills ($51/bill as the base cost for curbside service). The cost of the carts is included in that fee (there is no extra charge for the carts).

Garbage:

• 120L cart: additional $45/year
• 240L cart: additional $125/year

Organics/yard waste:

• 120L cart: additional $30/year
• 240L cart: additional $85/year

NOTE: any additional charges for larger carts will not be billed until the service begins in 2025.

Find your total annual fee based on your cart size selections (these fees include your existing recycling service, which is not moving to automated collection at this time).

The default 80L cart is similar in size to the current maximum allowable 77L garbage can. Here are the dimensions for all three available sizes:

Image

*Cart dimensions are approximate. Actual dimensions will be known once a manufacturer has been contracted. 

The carts will be delivered to each home ahead of the start of the new service in 2025.

Automated trucks are scheduled to arrive in late 2024 and service will begin in 2025. The new fees will not take effect until 2025 when service begins.

Recycling is currently collected by a contractor. This service will remain as is until the contract is reviewed. So for now, a special recycling (blue) cart is not required.

We are working on a plan to collect and recycle old garbage cans and green kitchen/organics cans. Details will be available later.

Yard waste will be general organic waste such as leaves, grass clippings, small twigs and branches, plus kitchen organics that are currently collected. Yard waste collection is a new service and the CVRD will be receiving what is collected. The CVRD is currently developing specific guidelines around what is and isn’t acceptable, such as branch dimensions.

We are investigating a retrofit option to provide bear proofing (such as locking clips). There will be an additional cost for this option, and more details will be available this fall.

Larger carts will also be available in limited numbers after the new service is introduced, with an additional administrative fee. Residents who want to upsize or downsize in the future will be able to, though there may be delays depending on cart supply.

Feedback was collected from the community on this proposed change to service in August-September 2021. Over 2,000 surveys were completed, with a majority of residents indicating they are in favour of automated collection and the increase in service to include yard waste. A full report of what was heard was presented to Council on November 9, 2021.