---
title: "Colwood garbage collection: schedule, carts and limits"
question: "When is garbage collected, and what are the rules for carts, limits, and extra bags?"
place: Colwood, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/colwood
category: Garbage, recycling and waste
owner: other
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/garbage-collection/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/garbage-collection.json"
---

# Colwood garbage collection: schedule, carts and limits

**Question:** When is garbage collected, and what are the rules for carts, limits, and extra bags?

**Short answer:** The City of Colwood does not collect household garbage. Residents hire a private hauler, so collection day, containers, limits and extra-bag rules come from that company. Blue-box recycling is collected through the Capital Regional District (CRD); find your day by address on the CRD page.

**Who handles it:** Another public body  
**Cost:** The City charges no garbage fee because it does not provide the service. Private haulers set their own rates.  
**How long:** Garbage day is set by your hauler. Recycling day depends on your address.  
**Where:**
- Online: CRD curbside recycling (find your collection day), https://www.crd.ca/programs-services/garbage-recycling/curbside-recycling
- Email: Feedback on City waste collection, info@colwood.ca

## Key facts

- **How often:** The City does not provide garbage collection; residents hire a private operator, so frequency depends on the provider. Blue-box recycling is collected through the CRD program; find your day by address on the CRD page. The CRD says garbage, food waste and yard waste services for single-family homes come from municipal programs and private companies.
  - Source: [Garbage & Recycling, Garbage Collection](https://www.colwood.ca/community-services/garbage-recycling)
  - Official wording: "The City of Colwood does not currently provide garbage collection service" … "residents are free to select their preferred local provider"
  - Source: [Colwood continues to explore options for City Waste Collection, Passage containing “Currently, Colwood residents contract their own waste collection services from a private operator.”](https://www.colwood.ca/news/colwood-continues-explore-options-city-waste-collection)
  - Official wording: "Currently, Colwood residents contract their own waste collection services from a private operator. While this approach gives residents service and pricing options and creates healthy competition among contractors, it means residents are often paying different rates, and that several waste collection trucks may be travelling through neighbourhoods on a daily basis."
  - Source: [Collection Services in Your Area, Capital Regional District](https://www.crd.ca/programs-services/garbage-recycling/collection-services-your-area)
  - Official wording: "Garbage, food waste and yard waste services are provided through both municipal programs and private companies for residents living in single family homes."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Finding your day:** Garbage: set by your private provider. Blue-box recycling: enter your address on the CRD curbside recycling page to find your day, download or subscribe to the schedule, or use the RecycleCRD app.
  - Source: [Curbside Recycling, Capital Regional District, Collection schedule](https://www.crd.ca/programs-services/garbage-recycling/curbside-recycling)
  - Official wording: "Enter your address below and never miss your collection day again!" … "Download the RecycleCRD app for iPhone or Android."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Carts:** No City carts; garbage containers come from your private provider. Recycling: one CRD blue box (47 litres) and two blue bags per home, free from the program. Replacements from GFL Environmental (236-470-0186, blueboxvictoria@gflenv.com) or Colwood City Hall, 3300 Wishart Road.
  - Source: [Curbside Recycling, Capital Regional District, Get blue boxes & bags](https://www.crd.ca/programs-services/garbage-recycling/curbside-recycling)
  - Official wording: "The program provides residents with one CRD blue box and two blue bags per home." … "City of Colwood - 3300 Wishart Road" … "CRD blue boxes are 47 litres (12 gallons)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Setting carts out:** Recycling: have it at the curb by 7:30 a.m. on collection day, in at least one CRD blue box or bag. Garbage: follow your private provider's rules.
  - Source: [Curbside Recycling, Capital Regional District, Collection schedule](https://www.crd.ca/programs-services/garbage-recycling/curbside-recycling)
  - Official wording: "have your recyclables at the curb by 7:30am on your collection day, and" … "use at least one CRD blue box or blue bag to let the driver know your materials are intended for recycling collection."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits and extra garbage:** Recycling: there is no limit to the amount of material you may place at the curb. Garbage limits and extra-bag charges depend on your private provider.
  - Source: [Curbside Recycling, Capital Regional District, Missed collection](https://www.crd.ca/programs-services/garbage-recycling/curbside-recycling)
  - Official wording: "There is no limit to the amount of material you may place at the curb."
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fee:** The City charges no garbage collection fee because it does not provide the service; residents contract and pay a private operator at rates that differ by provider.
  - Source: [Colwood continues to explore options for City Waste Collection, Passage containing “it means residents are often paying different rates”](https://www.colwood.ca/news/colwood-continues-explore-options-city-waste-collection)
  - Official wording: "Currently, Colwood residents contract their own waste collection services from a private operator. While this approach gives residents service and pricing options and creates healthy competition among contractors, it means residents are often paying different rates, and that several waste collection trucks may be travelling through neighbourhoods on a daily basis."
  - Source: [Garbage & Recycling, Garbage Collection](https://www.colwood.ca/community-services/garbage-recycling)
  - Official wording: "The City of Colwood does not currently provide garbage collection service"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Not confirmed. No Colwood garbage collection bylaw is listed on the City's bylaws page.

## How it works

The City of Colwood does not provide garbage collection. You hire a private operator, and its schedule and rules apply. The CRD says garbage, food waste and yard waste services for single-family homes come from municipal programs and private companies. The City does not name or recommend a hauler. In a 2025 City survey of 248 residents, of those using a contractor, 55.6% had garbage picked up every second week and 28.2% weekly.

## Steps

1. Ask a private hauler that serves Colwood for a quote and collection day.
2. Ask the hauler about containers, limits, extra bags and missed pickups. No official source states these.
3. For recycling, enter your address on the CRD curbside recycling page to find your day, download or subscribe to the schedule, or use the RecycleCRD app.
4. Put recycling out at the curb by 7:30 a.m. on collection day, in at least one CRD blue box or bag.

## Good to know

- Recycling: each home gets one CRD blue box (47 litres) and two blue bags from the program, free. There is no limit to the amount of recycling you may put out.
- Replacement boxes: GFL Environmental (236-470-0186, blueboxvictoria@gflenv.com) or Colwood City Hall, 3300 Wishart Road.
- The City reported in March 2026 that it is still exploring a City waste collection service. Check the City's page for any change.
- No Colwood bylaw on garbage collection is listed on the City's bylaws page.

## Official forms and pages

- [Garbage & Recycling, City of Colwood](https://www.colwood.ca/community-services/garbage-recycling)
- [Colwood continues to explore options for City Waste Collection (March 11, 2026)](https://www.colwood.ca/news/colwood-continues-explore-options-city-waste-collection)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Garbage collection in British Columbia: frequency, limits and fees by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/garbage-collection.md)
- [View Royal](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/garbage-collection.md)
- [Esquimalt](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/garbage-collection.md)
- [Langford](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/garbage-collection.md)
- [Victoria](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/garbage-collection.md)
- [Metchosin](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/garbage-collection.md)
- [Highlands](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/highlands/garbage-collection.md)

## Sources

- [Garbage & Recycling, City of Colwood](https://www.colwood.ca/community-services/garbage-recycling) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Colwood continues to explore options for City Waste Collection, City of Colwood](https://www.colwood.ca/news/colwood-continues-explore-options-city-waste-collection) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Curbside Recycling, Capital Regional District](https://www.crd.ca/programs-services/garbage-recycling/curbside-recycling) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Collection Services in Your Area, Capital Regional District](https://www.crd.ca/programs-services/garbage-recycling/collection-services-your-area) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 6 of 7 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with any government. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/garbage-collection/_