Winter Collection Reminders

The winter months in CBRM often means cold, unpredictable weather and poor driving conditions. Unpredictable weather and/or poor road conditions could result in waste collection challenges faced by both residents and curbside collectors. Residents are encouraged to follow some of the suggestions listed below when preparing and placing materials curbside for collection.

Winter Curbside Collection Reminders

Curbside Collection: Inclement Weather Reminder

Is your curbside collection day scheduled to happen during unfavorable weather or road conditions? If so, you can choose to hold onto your materials until your area’s next regularly scheduled collection day.

EXTRA garbage bags and green cart material will be collected on your area’s next regularly scheduled collection day.

Blue bags will be collected on your area's next regularly scheduled blue bag collection week.

If you decide to place your materials curbside during inclement weather, it is your responsibility to make sure the material remains secure during heavy winds, if the materials become buried during snow fall, during plowing of your road or street, or placed in an area that may affect vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

At the end of the collection day, if your material is not collected, please remove from the curb. It is your responsibility to remove any uncollected materials at the end the day.

If Storm Watches Are In Effect?

The CBRM Solid Waste Department reminds residents the decision to cancel curbside collection is not normally made until the morning of a forecasted weather event. If you are concerned, about curbside collection taking place when there is a storm watch in effect, you can choose not to place your materials curbside.

• EXTRA garbage bags and green cart material will be collected on your area's next scheduled garbage and green cart collection day.

• Blue bags will be collected on your area’s next regularly scheduled blue bag collection week.

Curbside Collection Cancellations

If CURBSIDE COLLECTION is cancelled on your area’s regularly scheduled collection day, please remove ALL your materials from the curb.

Extra garbage and green cart materials will be collected on your area’s next regularly scheduled collection day.

Blue bags will be collected on your area’s next regularly scheduled blue bag collection week.

Residents who have questions about curbside collection are encouraged to contact the Waste Management Hotline at (902) 567-1337.

Green Cart Collection

Locating an area to place your green cart curbside during the winter season can be challenging. When placing your green cart curbside for collection please make sure:

The serial number located at the front of the green cart faces the street or road.

The lid of the green cart is closed to prevent materials from escaping into the environment.

The green cart is visible curbside and accessible to the collector. Your green cart should not be placed behind a snow bank, a fence, trees or other objects that could interfer with collection.

The placement of your green cart does not interfer with pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The cart should not be placed on the sidewalk or in the street. It should also not be placed in a location that could interfer with any snow removal activities that could be taking place in your neighborhood.

The green cart is not placed on top of a snow bank.

The following suggestions may prevent food waste and other organic waste from freezing to the inside of a green cart during colder months:

Line the bottom of your green cart with sheets of newsprint, crumpled newspaper sheets or pieces of cardboard.

Wrap moist, damp or wet food waste in used paper towel, napkins or sheets of news paper. You can also place food waste inside a cereal box or a cookie box before you place it inside your green cart.

If you choose to use a mini bin liner, please make sure the packaging contains the US Composting Council Logo and/or the BPI certified compostable logo. See example:

acceptable green cart liner logo

Keep your green cart sheltered against your home, garage or barn until you set it out for curbside collection.

Keep the lid of your green cart closed when not in use. Keeping the lid closed will prevent snow and rain from accumulating inside your green cart.

Empty or remove as much liquid as possible from your food scraps before emptying them into your green cart.

Important Reminders:

Please DO NOT dispose of ASHES in your green cart. COLD ASHES can be disposed of in your clear garbage bag.

Please DO NOT use your Green Cart to dispose of your Garbage Bags. Green Carts containing garbage bags inside will be tagged and left unemptied.

Please remember, it is common for some material to remain stuck or frozen to the inside of your green cart following collection.

If your green cart does not get emptied on your collection day, please remove cart from the curb until your area's next scheduled collection day for green carts. Please contact the Waste Management Hotline at (902) 567-1337 so educators are informed about your missed collection.

Garbage Collection

Locating an area to place your garbage bags curbside during the winter months can be challenging. When placing your garbage bags curbside for collection, please make sure :

Garbage bags are visible curbside on collection day. If you choose to use a blanket, sheet or tarp to cover your garbage bags, please make sure you use a dark color that will be easily seen by the collector. Make sure your bags are not placed behind snow banks, fences, trees or other objects that could interfer with collection.

Garbage bags do not become buried in the snow or stuck to the ground.

Garbage bags are not placed on top of a snow bank or hidden behind your green cart.

Garbage bags are not placed inside your green cart for curbside collection. Garbage bags located inside green carts will be tagged and left behind uncollected.

If you store your waste in a garbage bin located curbside, please make sure it’s accessible to the collector. Please make sure:

The snow has been removed from the top of the lid so it can be safely opened by collector when retrieving bags.

The lid of the garbage container has not become frozen or stuck.

Any snow accumulation that may prevent access to the garbage bin has been removed so collector can safely remove garbage bags from the bin.

Any icy or slippery areas leading to the bin have been salted or sanded.

Important Reminders:

Please DO NOT dispose of HOT OR WARM ASHES in your garbage bags. Please wait until the ashes are cold before placing inside your clear garbage bag.

Please DO NOT place Garbage Bags inside your green cart for curbside collection. Garbage Bags located inside a green cart will be tagged and left uncollected.

If your garbage bags do not get collected on your collection day, please remove bags from the curb until your area's next scheduled collection day for garbage. Please contact the Waste Management Hotline at (902) 567-1337 so educators are informed about your missed collection.

Blue Bag Collection

Locating an area to place your blue bags curbside during the winter months can be challenging. When placing your blue bags curbside for collection, please make sure:

Blue bags are visible curbside on your area's blue bag collection week. Blue bags must not be covered with a blanket or placed inside a bin or container. Make sure your blue bags are not placed behind snow banks, fences, trees or other objects that could interfer with collection.

Blue bags do not become buried in the snow or frozen to the ground.

Blue bags are not placed on top of a snow bank or hidden behind your green cart.

Important Reminders:

If your blue bags do not get collected on your collection day, please remove bags from the curb until your area's next scheduled collection day for blue bags. Please contact the Waste Management Hotline at (902) 567-1337 so educators are informed about your missed collection.

Please do not tie your blue bags together for collection. Try securing lighter blue bags by placing heavier blue bags on top of them.

Winter Collection Tips

Place your garbage bags, green cart and blue bags in a visible location at the end of your driveway.

Make sure collection materials are accessible to the collector. Garbage, green carts or blue bags buried in snow or placed on top of a snow bank will not be removed. At times, you may have to shovel an area to create a space to place your materials for collection. Waste materials placed in public roadways and sidewalks can create an unsafe environment for drivers and pedestrians.

Make sure your garbage bags and blue bags do not become frozen to the ground or snow. Bags that become frozen to the ground are difficult to remove with out tearing the bag.

During snow removal activity, make sure your materials are not placed in an area that could affect snow removal. If your materials have not been collected by the end of your area's collection day, please remove all materials from the curb until your area's next scheduled collection day for garbage and green carts and your area's next scheduled blue bag collection week.

If you are concerned about the status of collection in your area, contact the Waste Management Hotline at (902) 567-1337. Educators are available to respond to inquiries from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday to Friday. Collection notifications will also be posted to CBRM's Facebook Page, the Solid Waste Section of the Website and recorded in Option #2 of the Hotline Menu.

If your materials are mistakenly hit by snow removal equiptment, please make sure you cleanup the mess and remove the debris from the curb.

Collection interruptions and delays are common during the winter.

During windy days, please make sure your garbage and blue bags are secure so they can not blow around. If you notice that some of your bags have blown into your neighbour's yard, onto the road, sidewalk or into a roadside ditch please remove and return them to your curb.

Winter Collection Information

Winter weather and road conditions can sometimes interfere with the safe removal of curbside materials. If this happens on your scheduled collection day, remove all materials from the curb. We also encourage you to contact the Waste Management Hotline so the information can be documented by one of the Waste Reduction Educators available to respond to inquiries.

The Solid Waste Department will collect EXTRA garbage bags and green cart material on your area's next scheduled garbage and green cart collection day.
Blue Bags will be collected on your area's next regularly scheduled blue bag collection week.

It is important to remove uncollected materials from the curb until your area's next scheduled collection day for garbage and green cart collection and your area's next scheduled blue bag collection week. Do not leave them curbside.