---
title: "Fort St. John garbage collection: schedule, carts and limits"
question: "When is garbage collected, and what are the rules for carts, limits, and extra bags?"
place: Fort St. John, British Columbia, Canada
place_path: ca/bc/fort-st-john
category: Garbage, recycling and waste
owner: municipal
owner_body: City of Fort St. John
sources_read: 2026-11-05
review: machine_checked
canonical: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/garbage-collection/"
json: "https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/garbage-collection.json"
---

# Fort St. John 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 Fort St. John collects garbage weekly and recycling every second week, using the contractor Element Disposal. Put the cart out by 8 a.m. on collection day, behind the curb or sidewalk, with the lid closed. Single bags left at the curb are not collected. Find your day in the Waste Wise app.

**Who handles it:** Municipal (City of Fort St. John, https://www.fortstjohn.ca)  
**Cost:** $8 a month per garbage cart and $5 a month per recycling cart, on the utility bill. Additional cart $30 plus the monthly fee. Lost, stolen or badly damaged cart $100.  
**How long:** Garbage weekly; recycling every second week. No curbside organics collection.  
**Where:**
- Online: Waste Wise app (collection calendar), https://bit.ly/FSJwastewise
- Online: Garbage Collection Map (PDF), https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/garbage-collection-map
- Phone: Element Disposal (City's collection contractor), 250-224-8774
- Online: Report a Problem, https://www.fortstjohn.ca/report-problem

## Key facts

- **How often:** Garbage is collected weekly and recycling (blue cart) every second week. There is no curbside organics collection; the City points residents to backyard composting.
  - Source: [Garbage and Recycling, intro](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/garbage-and-recycling)
  - Official wording: "one blue recycle cart (collected bi-weekly) and one black/grey garbage cart (collected weekly)"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Finding your day:** Use the Waste Wise app (Calendar tab), type your address into "My Schedule" on the City’s Garbage and Recycling page, or see the Garbage Collection Map.
  - Source: [Collection Frequently Asked Questions, Collection day](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/garbage-and-recycling/curbside-collection-frequently-asked-questions)
  - Official wording: "Download the Waste Wise App for your smartphone" … "Visit My Schedule on the Garbage & Recycling Page" … "View the Garbage Collection Map"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Carts:** One garbage cart (250 litres per the City FAQ; the bylaw says 240) and one 360-litre recycling cart per home. Additional cart: $30 plus the monthly fee. Lost, stolen or damaged beyond repair: $100. Damaged wheels or lids are repaired free. Use the Curbside Cart Form. (Sources differ: Carts belong to the City and stay with the address. Reinstating a cart removed for a bylaw breach costs $75. The City may waive the replacement fee for a cart at end of life.)
  - Source: [Collection Frequently Asked Questions, Cart sizes and fees](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/garbage-and-recycling/curbside-collection-frequently-asked-questions)
  - Official wording: "Garbage carts are 250 litres and recycle carts are 360 litres" … "After the fee of $30 is paid" … "After the fee of $100 is paid" … "they will repair your cart at your residence at no charge"
  - Source: [Solid Waste Management Bylaw No. 2557, 2021 (consolidated with Bylaw 2583, 2023), Schedule A](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/solid-waste-management-bylaw-no)
  - Official wording: "Administration fee for each additional collection cart - $30.00" … "Administration fee for each replacement collection cart - $100.00" … "Administration fee to reinstate removed collection cart - $75.00" … "“garbage cart” means a 240-litre wheeled container owned and supplied by the City," … "“recyclable materials cart” means a 360-litre wheeled container owned and supplied by"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Setting carts out:** Put carts out by 8 a.m. on collection day, behind the curb or sidewalk (on your driveway or lawn, not the street or sidewalk), with the lid arrow facing the street and at least 1 m of clear space on all sides. Bring carts in by the end of collection day. Keep lids closed.
  - Source: [Solid Waste Management Bylaw No. 2557, 2021 (consolidated with Bylaw 2583, 2023), ss. 3.23, 3.25](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/solid-waste-management-bylaw-no)
  - Official wording: "before 8:00 a.m. on the day" … "must be" … "removed from the curbside by the end of collection day" … "at least one metre horizontally on all"
  - Source: [Garbage and Recycling, Take the Guesswork out of Going Green](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/garbage-and-recycling)
  - Official wording: "Put your cart out by 8 am on your collection day" … "Make sure there is at least 1 meter (3 feet) of space on all sides"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Limits and extra garbage:** The lid must close; carts overfilled with the lid open are not picked up. Garbage must be bagged in the cart; recycling goes in loose. Single bags left at the curb are not collected. Extra carts can be rented. No weight limit is stated.
  - Source: [Solid Waste Management Bylaw No. 2557, 2021 (consolidated with Bylaw 2583, 2023), ss. 3.21, 3.22](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/solid-waste-management-bylaw-no)
  - Official wording: "bag the garbage placed in the garbage cart" … "to the extent that the lid does not close"
  - Source: [Bylaw Services Frequently Asked Questions, Garbage and recycling](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/bylaw-services/bylaw-services-frequently-asked-questions)
  - Official wording: "Single bags of garbage are not permitted to be left on the curb or on the street for pick up"
  - Source: [Garbage and Recycling, Take the Guesswork out of Going Green](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/garbage-and-recycling)
  - Official wording: "Overfilled carts with the lid open will not be picked up"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Fee:** Per month on the utility bill: $8 per garbage cart and $5 per recycling cart, for each house, duplex, triplex, fourplex or townhouse. Owners pay whether or not they use the service.
  - Source: [Solid Waste Management Bylaw No. 2557, 2021 (consolidated with Bylaw 2583, 2023), Schedule A, s. 5.1](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/solid-waste-management-bylaw-no)
  - Official wording: "$8.00 per garbage cart" … "$5.00 per recyclable materials cart" … "whether or not"
  - Source: [Collection Frequently Asked Questions, Extra cart](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/garbage-and-recycling/curbside-collection-frequently-asked-questions)
  - Official wording: "$8 per month for garbage carts and $5 per month for recycle carts"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06
- **Bylaw:** Solid Waste Management Bylaw No. 2557, 2021 (consolidated with Bylaw 2583, 2023)
  - Source: [Solid Waste Management Bylaw No. 2557, 2021 (consolidated with Bylaw 2583, 2023), s. 1.1](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/solid-waste-management-bylaw-no)
  - Official wording: "Solid Waste Management Bylaw No. 2557, 2021"
  - Check: wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06

## How it works

The City's contractor, Element Disposal, collects garbage weekly and blue-cart recycling every second week. There is no curbside organics collection; the City points residents to backyard composting. Each home gets one garbage cart and one 360-litre recycling cart. The [Solid Waste Management Bylaw 2557](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/solid-waste-management-bylaw-no) sets the rules. The garbage cart is 240 litres in the bylaw and 250 litres on the City's FAQ page.

## Steps

1. Find your day: use the Waste Wise app (Calendar tab), type your address into "My Schedule" on the City's Garbage and Recycling page, or see the Garbage Collection Map.
2. Bag your garbage and put it in the cart. Recycling goes in loose.
3. By 8 a.m. on collection day, put the cart behind the curb or sidewalk (on your driveway or lawn, not the street or sidewalk), with the lid arrow facing the street and at least 1 metre of clear space on all sides.
4. Bring the cart in by the end of collection day. Keep the lid closed.

## Good to know

- The lid must close. Carts overfilled with the lid open are not picked up, and single bags left at the curb are not collected. No weight limit is stated.
- Pickups continue on weekday holidays, except Christmas Day and New Year's Day, which move to the next day.
- Carts belong to the City and stay with the address. Request an additional cart with the Curbside Cart Form. Damaged wheels or lids are repaired free. Reinstating a cart removed for a bylaw breach costs $75.
- Fees are billed monthly for each house, duplex, triplex, fourplex or townhouse, whether or not you use the service. Unpaid amounts on December 31 are added to property taxes.
- A bylaw notice for an over-full cart is $100 ($85 early; $125 late). Other cart offences range from $100 to $300.
- Items too large for the cart go to the Peace River Regional District landfill.
- Yard waste: see the yard waste answer.

## Official forms and pages

- [Garbage and Recycling, City of Fort St. John](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/garbage-and-recycling)
- [Solid Waste Management Bylaw 2557, 2021 (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/solid-waste-management-bylaw-no)

## The same question elsewhere

- [Garbage collection in British Columbia: frequency, limits and fees by municipality](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/garbage-collection.md)
- [Dawson Creek](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/dawson-creek/garbage-collection.md)
- [Pouce Coupe](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/pouce-coupe/garbage-collection.md)
- [Hudson's Hope](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/hudsons-hope/garbage-collection.md)
- [Chetwynd](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chetwynd/garbage-collection.md)
- [Tumbler Ridge](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/tumbler-ridge/garbage-collection.md)
- [Mackenzie](https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/mackenzie/garbage-collection.md)

## Sources

- [Garbage and Recycling, City of Fort St. John](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/garbage-and-recycling) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Collection Frequently Asked Questions, City of Fort St. John](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/garbage-and-recycling/curbside-collection-frequently-asked-questions) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Solid Waste Management Bylaw No. 2557, 2021 (consolidated with Bylaw 2583, 2023) (PDF)](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/media/file/solid-waste-management-bylaw-no) (read 2026-11-05)
- [Bylaw Services Frequently Asked Questions, City of Fort St. John](https://www.fortstjohn.ca/municipal-services/bylaw-services/bylaw-services-frequently-asked-questions) (read 2026-11-05)

_Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 7 of 7 facts was matched to the official text. Gov Handbook is an independent guide, not affiliated with City of Fort St. John. How answers are checked: https://govhandbook.com/methods/ · Canonical page: https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fort-st-john/garbage-collection/_