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Heavy garbage and litter clean up event dates are announced for 2025

SYDNEY, NS -  Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s heavy garbage pick up will occur in all areas on the week beginning Monday, April 28, 2025  
Materials must be curbside by 6:00 am on the morning of April 28. Residents are encouraged to wait until the weekend of April 25-27 to place heavy garbage materials out for this collection. Collection will be done by CBRM and private contractor equipment. 

Additional public drop off sites will be open on six consecutive Saturdays from April 19 to May 24.  

The public can drop off materials at SPAR Road waste disposal facility as well as the following locations between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm:

  • Glace Bay Public Works Drop-Off Site, 24 West Avenue
  • New Waterford Public Works Drop-Off Site 455 Ling Street
  • North Sydney Drop-Off Site, 93 King Street

The Great Cape Breton Clean Up community litter clean up day will be on Saturday, May 3 between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. Registration is now open online at www.cbrm.ns/ca/cleanup.  

MORE about 2025 Residential Heavy Garbage Collection: 

CBRM’s residential heavy garbage collection starts on Monday, April 28, 2025.  Residents living at property’s eligible for curbside collection must have their large, heavy, or bulky household items curbside no later than 6:00am on Monday, April 28.  

Material Accepted for Heavy Garbage Collection

Bulky/large Items

Sofas, chairs, upholstered furniture, mattresses, box springs, carpeting, flooring, vinyl windows, or vinyl doors will be collected.

- Panes of glass from windows should be removed.  Collectors are not responsible for cleaning up broken glass or loose debris. 

- Carpet should be rolled and tied with string or rope.  Please make sure the rolled carpet has no nails, staples or other sharp objects sticking out.

- Floor tile must be bundled and tied.  Floor tiles can also be placed inside a box or container. 

Wood Items

Chairs, tables, dressers, doors, window and door frames, and shelving will be collected.

- Wooden items must be disassembled.

- Table legs should be removed.

- Long items must be cut down to 4-foot lengths or shorter. 

Appliances & Metal Items

Refrigerators, stoves, deep freezers, dryers, dishwashers, humidifiers, and other household appliances will be collected.  Other metal items including empty oil tanks, empty hot water tanks, steel bathtubs, sinks, and metal household radiators will be collected.

- Appliances containing Freon will be collected separately.

- It is recommended the doors on a refrigerator and/or a deep freezer be removed and placed next to the fridge or freezer.

- EMPTY oil tanks 1140 L (250 gallons) or less in size and empty hot water tanks will be collected. Make sure NO liquid or residue remains inside these tanks.

Material Not Accepted for Heavy Garbage Collection

  • Electronics including countertop microwave ovens, video gaming systems & peripheral, GPS systems, e-book readers, desk top computers, portable computers, computer monitors, computer peripherals, desk top printers, televisions, personal/portable audio & video play back and recording systems, vehicle audio/video systems, home theatre in a box (HTB) system, home audio/video systems, external storage drives & modems non-cellular telephones and cellular devices.
  • All hazardous waste (unused paint, empty paint cans, oil, empty oil containers, glycol empty glycol containers, other petroleum products & gasoline etc.) 
  • Propane tanks and propane cylinders.  Small 1-pound cylinders can be dropped off free-of-charge at CBRM’s Residential Hazardous Waste Depot. Contact the hotline for disposal information on large propane tanks and cylinders.
  • Fluorescent lights & mercury containing products.
  • Asphalt roofing shingles.
  • Vehicle parts.
  • Vehicle tires.
  • Trees, stumps, branches and leaf and yard debris.

Unacceptable items will not be removed from the curb. Residents will be required to remove uncollected materials from the curb and dispose of them properly. 

Important Heavy Garbage Collection Reminders

  • All areas of CBRM must have heavy garbage curbside NO LATER than 6am on Monday, April 28.
  • Collectors do not have a set starting point. Trucks will be removing materials in different areas across the municipality.
  • Residents are responsible for keeping their heavy garbage piles neat while waiting for heavy garbage collection to occur in their neighborhood.  
  • Residents are encouraged to wait until the weekend of April 25-27, to place heavy garbage materials out for this collection.
  • Make sure material not intended for heavy garbage such as hockey sticks, hockey nets, basketball nets, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, lawn mowers, or waste containers do not get stored near your heavy garbage pile. Items removed by collectors, not intended for heavy garbage, is not the responsibility of the Solid Waste Department.
  • Do Not block or place your heavy garbage on sidewalks or place it too close to roads.
  • Collectors will only remove heavy garbage placed at the curb.  Items left on porch steps, placed near homes or visible in backyards, will not be removed.
  • Streets and roads will be visited ONCE.  
  • Keep regular household garbage, blue bags, and your green cart in a separate location from your heavy garbage pile. 
  • Material larger than 4 feet should be cut or broken down into 4-foot lengths or smaller. 

For more information on Heavy Garbage Collection, residents are encouraged to phone 311 or the Waste Management Hotline (902)567-1337.   You can also visit CBRM’s website at www.cbrm.ns.ca/solidwaste or download the Solid Waste App from the Google Play or Apple Stores.  Check it out today to sign up for weekly collection notifications or to view your area’s curbside collection schedule.