Nanaimo garbage collection: schedule, carts and limits

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

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

Short answer

The City of Nanaimo collects organics (green cart) weekly, while garbage (black cart) and recycling (blue cart) alternate, each every second week. Find your day with the Nanaimo Recycles search tool or app. Each cart may hold no more than 35 kg.

Key facts

How often	Organics (green cart, food and yard waste) weekly. Recycling (blue) and garbage (black) alternate, each every second week. Holidays: collection moves ahead one weekday after a City-recognized holiday (add-a-day); none on Saturday or Sunday. Curbside service is for single-family homes up to fourplexes.Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 2011 No. 7128, s. 4(1); Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 2011 No. 7128, s. 2 (Add-a-day); Curbside Basics, web page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording (a) Collection on a weekly basis of Comingled Organic Waste from one (1) wheeled Comingled Organic Waste Cart; and every second scheduled Comingled Organic Waste collection day (alternating with Garbage collection); and the day for collection advances by one week day following any holiday recognized by the City. There shall be no collection on This service is available to eligible single-family homes and up to fourplexes.
Finding your day	Enter your address in the Nanaimo Recycles search tool on the City page or app to see your collection calendar, get reminders and print a calendar. A calendar is also mailed unless you opt out. Zero Waste Hotline 250-756-5390 (Mon to Fri, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Multi-family buildings: contact the contractor named on the bins.Recycling, Compost and Garbage, web page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Enter your address in the search bar below to review your customised collection schedule. Zero Waste Hotline 250-756-5390 Monday to Friday \| 8 am to 4:30 pm please contact the private contractor named on your collection bins to learn their schedule.
Carts	Each home gets recycling (blue), compost (green) and garbage (black) carts. Single-family: blue 240 L (can upsize to 360 L or downsize to 120 L), black 120 L (can upsize to 240 L), green 120 L (no upsize). Homes with a suite: shared set with blue 360 L, black 240 L (can upsize to 360 L), green 240 L. Exchange: property owner applies online; $60 fee; delivery takes 6 to 8 weeks; size can be changed once every 12 months.Cart Exchange, web page; Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 2011 No. 7128, s. 9(5), Schedule A · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording The standard Blue Cart (recycling) size is 240 litres. Residents may upsize to a 360 litre cart, or downsize to a 120‑litre cart if they have mobility constraints. The standard Black Cart size is 120 litres. Residents may choose to upsize to a 240 litre cart for an additional annual fee. An 120 litre capacity is assigned per dwelling unit, and homes with suites are provided with a shared upsized 240 litre organics cart. You may change your cart size once per year, per Bylaw 7128. The $60 fee will be applied to your user rate account Please allow up to six to eight weeks for delivery. Cart Exchange Requests must be submitted by the property owner The standard Blue Cart (recycling) size is 360 litres. The standard Black Cart (garbage) size is 240 litres. A Basic Service User may opt to change the size of their carts once every twelve Per 1 or more cart exchanged (at the same time) and $60.00
Setting carts out	Put carts out by 8:00 a.m. on collection day, not the night before (City asks 5 to 8 a.m.). Take empty carts in the same day after collection (City page: no later than 9 p.m.). Carts as close to the edge of the street as possible without blocking vehicles or pedestrians, lids facing the street, 1 m apart and 1 m from obstacles, 3 m of overhead clearance.Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 2011 No. 7128, s. 11(1)(f)-(j); Black Cart - Landfill Materials, web page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording set out for collection by 8:00 a.m. on the appropriate scheduled collection one (1) meter apart and one (1) meter away from obstacles to the side of on collection day point their carts so the lid opens up into the street; the street and keep all wheeled carts, when not set out for collection, on Place carts at the curb between 5 and 8 am on the morning of your scheduled collection day. Remove carts from the curb after collection, no later than 9 pm. Placing carts out the night before collection day is an offence under the BC Wildlife Act.
Limits and extra garbage	Each cart may hold no more than 35 kg (75 lb). Items over 2 feet (60 cm) in any dimension are not collected. Extra garbage or recycling: upsize or add a cart (one standard upsize of 120 L each for garbage and recycling per dwelling unit); no bag or tag system found.Sources differ: The ticket schedule (Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 7159) describes s. 11(1)(e) as "Container weighs more than 22 kilograms (50 pounds)" while Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 7128 s. 11(1)(e) says 35 kg (75 lb); the City Fine Schedule B of Bylaw 7128 also says 35 kg. Bylaw followed. Searched for bags, tags, extra: none found for extra bags.Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 2011 No. 7128, ss. 9, 10, 11(1)(e) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording ensure that all wheeled carts set out for collection, do not contain more than 35 kilograms (75 pounds) of material; oversized items of any kind exceeding two (2) feet in any dimension; Each dwelling unit shall be entitled to one standard upsize of 120 litres in garbage collection capacity. Each dwelling unit shall be entitled to one standard upsize of 120 litres in recycling collection capacity.
Fee	A daily solid waste collection charge per dwelling unit of $0.69315, billed to property owners with the user rates. A garbage cart upsize adds $0.31925 a day. Paying by the billing date earns a 5% discount. Unpaid fees at December 31 are added to taxes.Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 2011 No. 7128, Schedule A; s. 17 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Solid Waste Collection Fee Daily Charge Additional fee for each garbage cart upsize $0.31925 subject to a discount of five (5) percent A fee imposed under this bylaw which remains unpaid on the 31st day of December
Bylaw	Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 2011 No. 7128.Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 2011 No. 7128, s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE COLLECTION BYLAW 2011 NO. 7128

How it works

Under the Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 2011 No. 7128, curbside service in the City of Nanaimo is for single-family homes up to fourplexes. Organics (green cart, food and yard waste) are collected weekly; recycling (blue) and garbage (black) alternate. There is no collection on Saturday or Sunday. Multi-family buildings should contact the contractor named on the bins.

Steps

Enter your address in the Nanaimo Recycles search tool on the City page or in the app to see your calendar, get reminders and print a calendar. A calendar is also mailed unless you opt out.
Put carts out by 8 a.m. on collection day, not the night before (the City asks for 5 to 8 a.m.).
Place them as close to the edge of the street as possible without blocking vehicles or pedestrians, lids facing the street, 1 m apart and 1 m from obstacles, with 3 m of overhead clearance.
Take empty carts in the same day after collection (the City page says no later than 9 p.m.).

Good to know

Each cart may hold no more than 35 kg (75 lb). Items over 2 feet (60 cm) in any dimension are not collected.
No bag or tag system for extra garbage was found. You can upsize instead: one standard upsize of 120 L each for garbage and recycling per dwelling unit.
Cart sizes: single-family homes get blue 240 L, black 120 L and green 120 L (green cannot be upsized). Homes with a suite share a set of blue 360 L, black 240 L (can upsize to 360 L) and green 240 L.
To exchange a cart, the property owner applies online. The fee is $60, delivery takes 6 to 8 weeks, and size can be changed once every 12 months.
Report a damaged, lost or stolen cart to the City. Replacement due to loss, damage or disposal is billed at actual cost.
Paying the collection fee by the billing date earns a 5% discount. Unpaid fees at December 31 are added to taxes.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Lantzville · Ladysmith · Parksville · Sechelt · Qualicum Beach · Lake Cowichan

Garbage collection in British Columbia: frequency, limits and fees by municipality →

Sources

Recycling, Compost and Garbage, City of Nanaimo (read 2026-11-05)
Black Cart - Landfill Materials, City of Nanaimo (read 2026-11-05)
Cart Exchange, City of Nanaimo (read 2026-11-05)
Curbside Basics, City of Nanaimo (read 2026-11-05)
Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 2011 No. 7128 (PDF) (read 2026-11-05)

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