Castlegar yard waste collection and drop-off

Where does yard waste and brush go?

Castlegar, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

Short answer

In the City of Castlegar, yard and garden trimmings go in the green-lid organics cart, collected weekly, if pieces are under 2 inches thick and 12 inches long. The City's yard waste facility closed March 31, 2025; larger amounts go to the RDCK Ootischenia Landfill, 671 Columbia Road.

Key facts

Curbside collection	Yes. Yard and garden trimmings go in the green-lidded organics cart, collected weekly: grass clippings, leaves, flowers, plants, weeds, brush and small branches.Organic Waste, City page: Organic Waste; Curbside Waste Management Program, City page: Curbside Waste Management Program · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Flowers, grass clippings, plants, leaves + weeds Brush and small branches Organics Cart: Weekly Collection
How to set it out	Prunings less than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and no more than 12 inches (30 cm) long. Keep it loose and dry, with no plastic bags (paper yard waste bags are fine as liners). Carts with oversize pieces may be left behind.Organic Waste, City page: Organic Waste; Residential Curbside Collection and Disposal Bylaw 1408, consolidated to December 2025, Bylaw 1408, definition of Yard and Garden Waste; Curbside Waste FAQs, City page: Curbside Waste FAQs · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Plant, tree or hedge prunings less than 2 inches in diameter and no more than 12 inches in length that do not exceed the dimensions of 30 cm (1 foot) in length and 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter Yard waste that is too large. Twigs, stems and flowers must be no larger than 2” in diameter and 12” in length. Line your bin with paper yard waste bags, crumpled newspaper, or brown cardboard like pizza boxes.
Drop-off	The City's yard waste facility closed March 31, 2025. Ootischenia Landfill, 671 Columbia Road, takes yard waste year-round (Mon-Sat, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. April 1 to October 31; 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. November 1 to March 31; closed statutory holidays).Sources differ: Bylaw 1408 still refers to a City yard waste site at 2161 6th Avenue (the fire hall address); the City's January 2025 notice says that facility is closed. Bylaw not updated, treat as outdated.City of Castlegar to close yard waste facility, City notice, Jan 17, 2025; Hours of Operation, RDCK, RDCK page: Facility Operating Hours · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording The City of Castlegar’s yard waste facility at 2101 6th Avenue will permanently close as of March 31, 2025. 671 Columbia Road, Castlegar, BC Monday to Saturday \| 8:30 am – 5:30 pm Monday to Saturday \| 8:30 am – 4:00 pm Closed on all Statutory Holidays
Cost	Curbside collection is included in the organics fee ($156.47 a year in 2026). At Ootischenia Landfill yard and garden waste is free in May and October (one pick-up truck load per customer a day) and otherwise $70.75 per tonne or $14.00 per m3 (RDCK fees from January 1, 2026).Residential Curbside Collection and Disposal Bylaw 1408, consolidated to December 2025, Bylaw 1408, Schedule A; Yard and Garden Waste, Seasonal Free Tipping, RDCK, RDCK page: Yard & Garden Waste; User Fees, RDCK, RDCK page: Disposal Fees · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording (b) Additional Garbage Collection Service $ 160.07 (c) Organics Collection $ 156.47 (d) Recycling Collection $ 4.65 During the months of May and October (only) the following Resource Recovery Facilities accept Yard & Garden waste for FREE: Disposals are limited to one pick-up truck load per customer, per day. commercial loads and loads greater than 2.5 m3 must be taken to a LANDFILL ONLY Yard & Garden Waste \| $70.75/tonne or $14.00/m3
Not accepted	Curbside: soil, sod, rocks and plastics (including compostable plastic bags). At the landfill: tree stumps, noxious weeds, rocks, sand, soil, fruit or vegetable material and chipped wood waste are charged regular tipping fees.Organic Waste, City page: Organic Waste; Yard and Garden Waste, Seasonal Free Tipping, RDCK, RDCK page: Yard & Garden Waste · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Soil, sod and rocks Plastics (including biodegradable or compostable) tree stumps; rocks, sand and Waste Soil; chipped Wood Waste;
Bylaw	Residential Curbside Collection and Disposal Bylaw No. 1408 (s. 42); RDCK Resource Recovery Facilities Regulatory Bylaw No. 3065 (landfill)Residential Curbside Collection and Disposal Bylaw 1408, consolidated to December 2025, Bylaw 1408, s. 42; User Fees, RDCK, RDCK page: Disposal Fees · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Yard Waste generated at a residential premises in excess of the organics collection cart Resource Recovery Facilities Regulatory Bylaw No. 3065

How it works

Yard and garden trimmings go in the green-lid organics cart, collected weekly: grass clippings, leaves, flowers, plants, weeds, brush and small branches. Prunings must be less than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter and no more than 12 inches (30 cm) long. Keep it loose and dry, with no plastic bags; paper yard waste bags are fine as liners. Carts with oversize pieces may be left behind.

Steps

Put trimmings in the organics cart on collection day (see the garbage answer for set-out rules).
For larger amounts or oversize branches, take them to the Ootischenia Landfill, 671 Columbia Road, which takes yard waste year-round.
Check the landfill's hours and fees before you go.

Good to know

The City's yard waste facility closed March 31, 2025, according to a City notice. Bylaw 1408 still names it, so treat the bylaw as out of date and confirm with Civic Works at 250-365-5979.
Not accepted in the cart: soil, sod, rocks and plastics, including compostable plastic bags.
At the landfill, tree stumps, noxious weeds, rocks, sand, soil, fruit or vegetable material and chipped wood waste are charged regular tipping fees.