Powell River garbage collection: schedule, carts and limits

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

Powell River, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-05

How it works

Under the Municipal Solid Waste Collection Bylaw 2784, 2025, organics (green cart) are collected weekly, and garbage and recycling every second week. Basic service applies to single-family dwellings, secondary suites and duplex units; multi-family and commercial properties are decided case by case. Find your day on the five-route schedule (Routes A to E) on the City website, in the qathet Waste Wise app, or in the monthly schedule in The Peak and qathet Living. A collection day moves after a statutory or City holiday.

Steps

1. Put the cart at the collection point no earlier than 5:00 a.m. and by 7:30 a.m. on collection day.
2. Place it as close as possible to the street edge, 1 m from other objects, with 3 m clearance overhead and the lid opening toward the street. Do not block vehicles or pedestrians.
3. Take it back to private property by 8:00 p.m. that day. The Wildlife Attractant Bylaw also requires carts to be stored on private property outside collection hours.

Good to know

• Carts: garbage 120 litre, organics 120 litre, recycling 240 or 360 litre (a size change is free). An extra 120 litre garbage or organics cart is $80 a year; each levy change costs $25. Carts remain City property.
• Each cart may weigh no more than 35 kg (75 lb).
• Extra garbage bags may go beside the cart on garbage day with a $5 City garbage tag on each: maximum four bags, each no more than 12 kg (26.5 lb), up to 79 cm by 107 cm, securely fastened. Waste inside the cart needs no tag. Tags are sold at City Hall, the Powell River Recreation Complex, Save-on-Foods, FreshCo, Top of the Hill Solutions and Townsite Grocery.
• Fee: $245.35 per residential unit in 2026 ($205.19 garbage and organics plus $40.16 recycling), and $253.18 in 2027. It is billed on the property tax notice, due the first working day after July 1, with a 10% penalty on any part unpaid by then.
• Report a damaged, lost or stolen cart to Operational Services at 604-485-8657. The owner pays replacement ($80, $100 or $150 by size).
• A bylaw notice for a garbage cart set out too early or left out is $100 ($20 discount if paid within 14 days; $20 surcharge if paid after 28 days).