North Cowichan garbage collection: schedule, carts and limits

When is garbage collected in North Cowichan, and what are the rules for carts and limits?

North Cowichan, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-06

Short answer

North Cowichan collects organics every week and garbage and recycling on alternate weeks, for single-family homes. Enter your address in the Curbside schedules calendar tool or use the MNC Curbside app to find your day. Carts go out between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. and must be in by 10 p.m.

Key facts

How often	Organics (kitchen and yard waste) every week. Garbage and recycling alternate every other week. Applies to single-family homes; apartments, stratas, mobile home parks, businesses and institutions arrange their own collection. Holidays shift the schedule by a day.Curbside collection, intro; Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025, ss. 10, 44; Curbside schedules and Waste Wizard, FAQ · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Organics (kitchen and yard waste) is collected every week, and recycling and garbage alternate every other week weekly Curbside Collection of the Organics Cart a multi-residential apartment or condominium collection days skip a day each time there is a holiday
Finding your day	Enter your address in the calendar tool on the Curbside schedules page (print it or get text, email or phone-call reminders), or use the free 'MNC Curbside' app. Call Operations at 250-746-3106 (Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.). New homes are added when occupancy is issued.Curbside schedules and Waste Wizard, Curbside calendars and reminders · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Use the calendar tool to input your address to view your calendar Download the "MNC Curbside App" 250-746-3106 (Monday–Friday, 7:30am–4:00pm)
Carts	The Municipality supplies carts: default 80 L garbage and 80 L organics for a single home; a home with a secondary suite gets a 240 L garbage and 120 L organics cart by default. Larger or smaller sizes (120 L, 240 L) by cart exchange request (form online, $30 per exchange, one exchange per 3 months, may be refused). Bear-resistant carts only in 120 L and 240 L, at an extra fee. Recycling goes in your own containers or $3 yellow bags.Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025, ss. 19-20, 28, Table 1; Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 3784, 2020, Schedule I, Schedule I, items 15-16; Curbside collection, intro · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Default size: 1 x 80L Garbage Cart Bear Resistant Carts, available in 120L and 240L sizes only once every 3 Cart exchange (up to two carts per exchange) $30 per exchange Recycling bag $3 each Request larger, smaller, and/or bear resistant curbside carts
Setting carts out	Put carts out between 5 AM and 8 AM on collection day with lids closed, with 1 m of space around each cart and the handle facing your property, on the road shoulder or street at your property line (or in the driveway behind the curb when cars block the roadway, or other places listed). Remove them by 10 PM the same day. Carts out outside those times can be fined.Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025, s. 12; Curbside schedules and Waste Wizard, intro · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording place Collection Carts and Recycling Containers, with the lids in the fully closed position between 5 AM and 8 AM no later than 10 PM make sure carts are placed at the curb by 8am on your scheduled pickup day
Limits and extra garbage	Garbage cart weight limits: 80 L cart 36 kg (80 lb), 120 L cart 59 kg (130 lb), 240 L cart 109 kg (240 lb); overweight carts are not collected. Excess garbage is not collected; keep it for next time or take it to a depot such as Bings Creek. No sharps or syringes; double-bag pet waste. No bag-tag or extra-bag program was found.Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025, s. 23, Table 2, s. 32; Garbage, Common questions · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording will not collect any Garbage or Organic Waste which exceeds the capacity 36KG (80LB) shall make their own arrangement for disposal at an Approved Disposal Site Excess garbage can be kept for your next collection day, or taken to a depot such as Bings Creek for disposal Pet waste must be double bagged
Fee	Charged to the property owner on the utility bill (water, sewer and garbage), billed three times a year. Single-family annual cost by cart combination: 80 L garbage + 80 L organics $157 (the default); 80+120 $187; 120+120 $232; 240+120 $312; 240+240 $367. A home with a secondary suite pays for two services. Paper utility bill costs $2 per billing.Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 3784, 2020, Schedule I, Schedule I, items 1-14, section 3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording 80-litre garbage cart and 80-litre organics cart: Tri-annual per dwelling unit (annual cost of $157) 240-litre garbage cart and 240-litre organics cart: (annual cost of $367) Customers who elect to receive a paper utility bill shall be charged a fee of $2.00 per billing cycle
Bylaw	Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025 (adopted July 16, 2025); fees in Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 3784, 2020, Schedule I.Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025, s. 1; Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 3784, 2020, Schedule I · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025 SCHEDULE I – WASTE COLLECTION FEES

How it works

Under the Waste Collection Bylaw, the Municipality collects organics (kitchen and yard waste) every week, and garbage and recycling on alternate weeks. This covers single-family homes. Apartments, stratas, mobile home parks, businesses and institutions arrange their own collection.

The Municipality supplies the carts. A single home gets an 80 L garbage cart and an 80 L organics cart by default. A home with a secondary suite gets a 240 L garbage and 120 L organics cart by default. Recycling goes in your own containers or $3 yellow bags.

Steps

Find your day: enter your address in the calendar tool on the Curbside schedules page (print it, or get text, email or phone-call reminders), or use the free "MNC Curbside" app. New homes are added when occupancy is issued. Call Operations at 250-746-3106 if needed.
Put carts out between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. on collection day with lids closed, 1 m of space around each cart and the handle facing your property. Place them on the road shoulder or street at your property line (or other places listed in the bylaw).
Take carts in by 10 p.m. the same day. Carts out outside those times can be fined.
To change cart size (120 L or 240 L), use the online cart exchange form. It costs $30 per exchange, one exchange per 3 months, and may be refused. Bear-resistant carts come only in 120 L and 240 L, at an extra fee.

Good to know

Weight limits for garbage carts: 80 L cart 36 kg (80 lb), 120 L cart 59 kg (130 lb), 240 L cart 109 kg (240 lb). Overweight carts are not collected.
Excess garbage is not collected. Keep it for next time or take it to a depot such as Bings Creek. No bag-tag or extra-bag program was found.
No sharps or syringes. Double-bag pet waste.
Carts out of time is a $100 bylaw notice.
Holidays shift collection by a day. The Municipality's web page says carts must be out "by 8am"; the bylaw says between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., so follow the bylaw.