Curbside Collection

District of Squamish provides curbside collection for garbage, recycling, and organics through a contract with GFL Environment.

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Neighbourhood Schedules

Garbage and recycling are collected on alternating weeks. Organics are collected weekly from Spring to Fall and biweekly on recycling days during the rest of the year.

  • Downtown
  • Dentville
  • Government Road to Mamquam Bridge
  • North Yards
  • Business Park
  • SEAandSKY
  • 7 Peaks
  • Shannon Estates
  • The Breeze
  • Tantalus Crossing
  • University Heights above the Mashiter Bridge.
  • Valleycliffe
  • Stawamus
  • Hospital Hill
  • Timber Town Trailer Court
  • Wagon Wheel
  • Willow Crescent
  • Neighbourhoods east of Loggers Lane from the Squamish Adventure Centre to Centennial Way
  • Neighbourhoods north of the Cheekeye substation, including Paradise Valley and Cheakamus
  • Garibaldi Estates
  • Willow Village
  • Viresence
  • Tantalus Road Area
  • Kowtain
  • Garibaldi Highlands
  • Cheekeye Area
  • Brackendale
  • Riverside

Garbage Collection

Tote safety: If you need to reach into your tote for any reason, please ensure that the tote will not roll away from you and that the lid is opened fully.

Garbage totes must be placed curbside and unlocked by 7:45 a.m. on your collection day. At all other times, totes must be locked with both locks, and preferably kept behind closed doors in your garage, basement or storage area to prevent wildlife from accessing the contents. 

Residents have a choice of garbage tote size. Annual Solid Waste Utility charges vary based on the size chosen. The annual Solid Waste Utility charges include garbage, recycling and organics collection.

The single solid waste fee also covers the cost of collection and processing of recycling and organics. There is no additional charge for a recycling or organics tote.

Recycling Collection

To ensure collection, please ensure only acceptable material is in your tote. Contamination occurs when items are put in the curbside recycling tote that are not accepted in the curbside recycling program, or when acceptable material are left in a way that makes it so they cannot be recycled. 

The following types of packaging and paper products are accepted for in the curbside recycling totes on behalf of Recycle BC:

  • Newspaper
  • Paper, magazines and phone books
  • Corrugated cardboard
  • Steel and aluminum cans
  • Rigid plastic containers
  • Milk jugs and cartons
  • Tetra paks
  • Envelopes, window envelopes
  • Computer and writing paper
  • Hot and cold beverage cups (paper) and lids

For a complete list, check out the Waste Wizard above or visit RecycleBC for a list of materials. 

Non-packaging material and hazardous material are not accepted in the curbside recycling. This includes:

  • Glass and ceramics
  • Plastic Bags and Overwrap
  • Books
  • Styrofoam
  • Needles
  • Diapers
  • Animal waste
  • Light bulbs, crystal glass
  • Construction or renovation materials
  • Paint cans or motor oil containers
  • Medical waste
  • Toxic waste (pesticides, etc.)
  • Padded envelopes
  • Do not bundle, bag or otherwise contain your recyclables, with the exception of shredded paper (contain in a separate paper bag or cardboard box within the tote).
  • Clean and rinse all containers.
  • Do not put containers in other containers
  • Remove the lids from containers and put them loose in your recycle tote.
  • All recycling must fit into the cart with the lid closed.

Contamination happens when things are put in the curbside recycling tote that are not accepted in the curbside recycling, or when acceptable material are left in a way that makes it so they cannot be recycled. 

To be properly recycled, material must be able to be sorted by the sorting machines. Bagged and nested material prevent these machines from working properly. 

Examples of not accepted curbside recycling:

  • Glass
  • Books
  • Soft Plastics
  • Electronics
  • Wood

These items can all be recycled at the Recycling Depot at the Squamish landfill, but because they can hurt workers or damage equipment, they are not accepted in curbside collection totes.

For information on contamination and how it affects recycling, visit the RecycleBC contamination page.

Organics Collection

Please ensure your yard waste/organics totes are closed at the time of collection.

If you have more organic or yard waste than you can fit in your tote, you can stockpile it until you can fit it in your tote at a later date, use a backyard composter, leave grass clippings on the lawn, take it to the Squamish Landfill Public Depot for a small fee, or ask your neighbours if they have any extra space. 

  • Vegetables and fruit – cooked and raw, including peels, pits and seeds. Corn cobs, corn husks and avocado seeds are okay.
  • Meat and bones – cooked or raw
  • Fish and shellfish – cooked or raw
  • Dairy products including cheese and yoghurt
  • Egg shells and eggs
  • Bread, baked goods, pasta, cereal, pizza
  • Flours and grains
  • Nuts and nutshells
  • Plate scrapings
  • Coffee grounds, filters and tea bags (except “silk” or plastic tea bags)
  • Small amounts of fats and oils (soak into newspaper or used paper towels)
  • Butter, margarine and lard
  • Used paper towels, facial tissues, paper napkins, paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls.
  • Paper food packaging including cardboard egg cartons, paper plates and pizza boxes. Must not be wax lined. 
  • Popsicle sticks, small wooden utensils, toothpicks, wood chips and sawdust from untreated and unpainted wood
  • Leaves, grass clippings, hedge trimmings, plants, flowers
  • Small branches less than 3” in diameter and short enough to fit in the tote with the lid closed.
    • Branches longer than 24" or greater than 2" in diameter can both damage the bear-proof banding on your tote and disable the truck.
  • Branches longer than 24" or greater than 2" diameter
  • Plastic bags and plastic wrap, even if marked compostable or biodegradable.
  • Plastic containers and plastic cutlery, even if marked compostable or biodegradable 
  • Styrofoam 
  • Twist ties, rubber bands, stickers and bread tags
  • Coffee cups and straws
  • Any kind of metal or glass including tin foil and pie plates
  • Diapers and baby wipes 
  • Pet waste or kitty litter 
  • Lined paper bags e.g. pet food bags 
  • Cotton balls and dental floss
  • Cigarettes and cigarette butts
  • Vacuum bags 
  1. Collect food scraps and food soiled paper in your kitchen container. You can line your kitchen container with newspaper or paper bags, or use it on its own. Plastic bags of any type are not permitted - even those that claim they are compostable. Watch this YouTube video demonstrating how to make a liner from newspaper or download these instructions. The "Green Lid" compostable bins are also acceptable. 
  2. Empty your kitchen container into your organics tote and layer with yard waste if possible. Rinse your kitchen catcher regularly.
  3. Place your unlocked organics totes curbside by 7:45 am on your collection day. 

Maggots come from fly eggs. Flies lay their eggs hundreds at a time and they can begin to hatch after just eight hours. The maggots eat non-stop so flies lay the eggs where there is a sufficient amount of food. This is why it’s common to see them in old or rotting food.

Prevention

Preventing maggots is much easier than getting rid of them. The most effective way to avoid getting maggots is to prevent flies from accessing your food waste, in particular meat scraps and plate scrapings. This can be achieved by one or more of the following:

  • Storing meat scraps in the freezer until collection day;
  • Tightly wrapping meat scraps and plate scrapings in newspaper before placing in the tote, and then covering with yard waste in the tote;
  • Using weather stripping around the lip of the tote to tighten the seal and prevent flies from accessing the tote. Note that the lack of air flow may increase odor issues when the tote is opened.

 Additional measures that can help:

  • Rinse your tote out regularly and keep it clean. Pay particular attention to the lip and underside of the tote where flies may land and lay their eggs;
  • Store the tote away from direct sunlight whenever possible;
  • Keep the tote lid closed and locked. If broken, please email GFL Environmental  to arrange for a repair;
  • Don’t leave food waste on your countertops or out in the open for too long. The smell will attract flies, and the flies may lay eggs;
  • Transfer waste food into your kitchen catcher as soon as you can and keep the lid tightly closed when not in use;
  • Clean out your kitchen catcher regularly with a mild detergent or vinegar/water solution.

Getting rid of maggots

  • Maggots can sometimes be killed by putting salt, vinegar or lime directly on them;
  • After pick-up day, maggots can also be killed in your tote with boiling water;
  • Please do not apply chemicals to totes that contain organic material for collection.

Organics totes are fitted with a wildlife resistant locking system. To be effective, both locks must be locked at all times except the morning of collection day (as per the Wildlife Attractant Bylaw).

If possible, keep your tote in a shed or garage. Put your tote out by 7:45 a.m. on the morning of collection day, never the night before. 

  • Wrapping your food scraps in newspaper or paper bags helps to reduce odours and keep your organics tote and kitchen catcher clean.
  • If possible, keep meat, fish and bones in your freezer or fridge until collection day.
  • Cover and layer food scraps with yard waste in your organics tote whenever possible. 
  • Allow grass clippings and leaves to dry before placing them in the tote.
  • Sometimes maggots (fly larva) grow in organic material. To reduce this problem make sure that both your kitchen catcher and organics totes are tightly closed at all times so that flies cannot lay eggs in your organic material. If you do see maggots in your tote, they can sometimes be killed by putting salt,vinegar, or lime directly on them.
  • Rinse your kitchen catcher and tote regularly. You can use a mild detergent or vinegar/water solution for this purpose.
  • If your tote is damaged and/or is not locking, email GFL Environmental for a repair.  

Composting is the art of turning food scraps, yard waste and other organic materials into nutrient-rich soil. A healthy combination of heat, oxygen, moisture, naturally-occurring micro-organisms and food scraps will create productive soil and can reduce your garbage production by a third.

Watch this short video to learn more about how Squamish's commercial and residential organic material is composted.