North Cowichan yard waste collection and drop-off

Where does yard waste and brush go in North Cowichan?

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

Short answer

In North Cowichan, yard and garden waste goes in the green organics cart, collected every week. Larger branches go to a Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) depot, which takes residential yard waste free: Bings Creek (3900 Drinkwater Road) or Peerless Road in Ladysmith.

Key facts

Curbside collection	Yes. Yard and garden waste goes in the green organics cart together with kitchen scraps, collected every week. Yard and garden waste means vegetation from gardens, lawns, shrubs and trees, including prunings. Plastic liners (even compostable ones) are not allowed; use paper bags, newspaper or leave loose.Organics, kitchen and yard waste, intro; Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025, s. 2 definitions · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Curbside organics collection is every week and includes both kitchen waste and yard waste To meet provincial regulations, North Cowichan and all composting facilities in BC no longer allows the use of any plastics means vegetation removed from gardens, lawns, Plastic liners cannot be used in Organics Carts
How to set it out	Branches and prunings must be no more than 1.5 cm thick and 60 cm long to count as yard waste for the cart. Loose material must fit in the organics cart with the lid closed; weight limits are 36 kg (80 L cart), 59 kg (120 L) and 109 kg (240 L). Larger branches are not curbside; take them to the depot (branches under 3 inches/7.6 cm accepted there).Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025, s. 2 definition; Table 2; Accepted materials and fees, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Yard Waste · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording prunings from shrubs and trees no greater than 1.5 cm in diameter and 60 cm 36KG (80LB) Grass, leaves, and branches less than 3″ in diameter accepted
Drop-off	Free year-round at CVRD recycling centres. Bings Creek, 3900 Drinkwater Road, Duncan: every day 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Peerless Road, 10830 Westdowne Road, Ladysmith: Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (November 1 to March 31; Wednesday to Sunday in summer). Closed statutory holidays and some other days.Open Burning & Campfires \| Municipality of North Cowichan, Alternatives to open burning; Accepted materials and fees, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Yard Waste; Drop-off depots and recycling centres, Cowichan Valley Regional District, CVRD Drop-off Depots & Recycling Centres page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Take yard waste (year-round and free of charge) to one of our region’s solid waste management and recycling facilities Bings Creek Solid Waste Management Complex, 3900 Drinkwater Road, North Cowichan Phone the CVRD Recycling Hotline at 250-746-2540 Yard Waste \| Free (residential loads) Hours: Open every day 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Address: 10830 Westdowne Road, Ladysmith Winter Hours (November 1 to March 31): Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday only 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost	Curbside is included in the annual garbage and organics utility charge ($157 a year for the default 80 L + 80 L carts). Drop-off of residential yard waste at CVRD centres is free; commercial loads $110 per tonne.Accepted materials and fees, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Yard Waste; Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 3784, 2020, Schedule I, Schedule I, item 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording \| Tires (On Rim) \| $6/unit (4 tires per person daily limit) \| Passenger car and light truck tires on rims are accepted for a fee. \| Yard Waste \| Free (residential loads) $110/tonne (commercial loads) \| Grass, leaves, and branches less than 3'' in diameter accepted. NO rock, sod, or dirt. NO stumps. Tri-annual per dwelling unit (annual cost of $157)
Not accepted	Curbside: plastic bags or liners of any kind, including compostable ones. At the CVRD depot: no rock, sod, dirt or stumps, and no giant hogweed, knotweed, poison hemlock or daphne/spurge laurel with yard waste. Pet waste and animal carcasses are not accepted in organics.Organics, kitchen and yard waste, Acceptable liners; Accepted materials and fees, Cowichan Valley Regional District, Yard Waste; Organics · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording no longer allows the use of any plastics – including bags labelled as certified compostable NO rock, sod, or dirt. NO stumps. Giant Hogweed No animal carcasses, pet waste
Bylaw	Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025 (yard and garden waste definition and cart rules); CVRD Solid Waste Fees and Regulations Bylaw No. 4412 for the depots.Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025, s. 1; Prohibited Waste definition · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Waste Collection Bylaw No. 4012, 2025 CVRD Bylaw No. 4412 – Solid Waste Fees and

How it works

North Cowichan collects yard and garden waste weekly in the green organics cart, together with kitchen scraps. Under the Waste Collection Bylaw, yard and garden waste means vegetation from gardens, lawns, shrubs and trees, including prunings.

Larger loads and branches go to a depot run by the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD), not the Municipality.

Steps

Curbside: put yard waste in the organics cart. Branches and prunings must be no more than 1.5 cm thick and 60 cm long. The lid must close.
Use paper bags, newspaper or leave it loose. Plastic liners of any kind, even compostable ones, are not allowed.
Respect weight limits: 36 kg (80 L cart), 59 kg (120 L) and 109 kg (240 L).
Larger branches: take them to the depot. Branches under 3 inches (7.6 cm) are accepted there.
Depots: Bings Creek, 3900 Drinkwater Road, Duncan, every day 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Peerless Road, Ladysmith: Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (November 1 to March 31; Wednesday to Sunday in summer). Closed statutory holidays and some other days.

Good to know

Residential yard waste is free at the CVRD centres; commercial loads are $110 per tonne.
At the depot: no rock, sod, dirt or stumps, and no giant hogweed, knotweed, poison hemlock or daphne/spurge laurel with yard waste.
Pet waste and animal carcasses are not accepted in organics.
Burning yard waste needs a permit; see the backyard fire answer.