Vernon garbage collection: schedule, carts and limits

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

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

Short answer

The City of Vernon collects garbage every second week and organics every week, on the same weekday. Find your day by searching your address on the City's collection map. Carts go out between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. Extra bags need a $2.50 Tag-a-Bag sticker.

Key facts

How often	Garbage every second week; organics (kitchen and yard waste) every week. Recycling is not a City service: it is Recycle BC's program, collected by Emterra from single family homes and some multi-family complexes (no schedule on the City page).Residential Garbage; Solid Waste Management Bylaw 5911, Schedule E; Residential Recycling (yard recycling fee) · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Garbage is collected every second week and organics (kitchen and yard waste) are collected weekly. Residential Garbage Once every two weeks as advertised by the City The City of Vernon does not provide curbside recycling collection. The Residential Recycling Program is maintained by Recycle BC. collects printed paper and packaging (PPP) from single family residences and select multi-family complexes.
Finding your day	Search your address on the City's collection map on the Waste Collection Schedule page. Garbage and organics are collected on the same weekday; the weekly calendar (2026 Printable Waste Collection Guide) shows which weeks garbage is picked up. Questions: Emterra 250-545-4245.Waste Collection Schedule; Residential Garbage · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Use the map below to search your address and determine your collection day. Organics and garbage are collected on the same day of the week. Use the weekly collection calendar found at the bottom of this page to see which week your garbage will be picked up. 2026 Printable Waste Collection Guide Questions about the curbside residential waste collection program can be directed to Emterra Environmental at: Phone: 250-545-4245
Carts	Standard carts are 240 L for garbage and 120 L for organics; either size is offered for each. Add, remove, resize or report a damaged, lost or stolen cart with the City's Residential Solid Waste Cart Application. Size change: $38 one-time fee. Damaged, lost or stolen cart: an $80 fee may apply.Automated Waste Collection FAQ, Automated waste collection; Residential Garbage; Residential Solid Waste Cart Application, Residential solid waste cart application; Solid Waste Management Bylaw 5911, s. 3.27 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording Standard garbage collection carts are 240L. Standard organics carts are 120L. you can use the Residential Solid Waste Cart Application to add, remove, or change the size of your waste collection carts. A one-time administration and delivery cart exchange fee of $38 will be added to your utility account. If your garbage and/or organics cart(s) has been damaged, please note that an $80 cart fee may apply. Each residential property will be allocated a minimum number and size of garbage carts
Setting carts out	Put carts out between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. on collection day, as close to the curb as possible with the front facing the roadway, 1 m from other objects. With a sidewalk, the bylaw says street side of the sidewalk; the City page says on the property beside it. Bring carts in by the end of collection day.Sources differ: City pages say set out 'by 7:00 a.m.'; the bylaw adds the 4:00 a.m. earliest time. Carts must face the roadway and 3 m clear overhead (bylaw s. 3.14(d)). A missed cart must be reported within 24 hours (s. 3.11). In winter a cart may go on the road side of snow piles (s. 3.12).Solid Waste Management Bylaw 5911, s. 3.10, 3.13, 3.14; Residential Garbage, How to place your automated garbage collection cart · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording no earlier than 4:00 A.M. and no later than 7:00 A.M. on the scheduled collection date. shall return a cart to their own property no later than the end of the scheduled collection date. in a location free from any obstructions, including other containers, that are at least one metre horizontally away on all sides including the back, and three metres away above the container including tree branches place a cart and any extra garbage on the street side of the sidewalk and/or Active Transportation Corridor with the cart fronts facing towards the roadway Carts are to be placed on the street, with the wheels against the curb, if there is one. If there is a sidewalk (with or without a bike lane), the cart should be placed on the property immediately adjacent to the sidewalk.
Limits and extra garbage	Bylaw 5911: cart gross weight at most 50 kg (120 L) or 75 kg (240 L), lid must close; the City garbage page says 46 kg (100 lb). Extra bags beside the cart need a $2.50 Tag-a-Bag sticker, each at most 25 kg and 0.914 m. Nothing may be left beside an organics cart.Sources differ: The City garbage page says the garbage cart maximum is 46 kg (100 lbs); Bylaw 5911 s. 3.8(d) says 75 kg for a 240 L cart. The bylaw is followed. Tag-a-Bag stickers are also sold at the Recreation Complex (Tag-a-bag program, same page). Bylaw s. 3.28 sets the sticker as 'Appendix A'.Solid Waste Management Bylaw 5911, s. 3.8(d), 3.28; Residential Garbage, FAQs; Automated Waste Collection FAQ, Residential organics collection · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording 120 litres 50 kg 240 litres 75 kg when full, not exceed a weight of 25 kgs (50 lbs) when full, not exceed 0.914 metres (3 feet) in any dimension. All bags placed beside the cart must be tagged with a 'Tag-a-Bag' sticker, which can be purchased at the City Hall finance counter for $2.50 per sticker. Each customer is entitled to put out 1 supplied 240L garbage cart of refuse, with a maximum weight of 46 kilogram (100 lbs). Nothing can be left beside the cart. Anything that is left beside the cart will not be picked up.
Fee	Garbage collection $27.59 per cart per quarter; organics and yard waste collection $25.62 per cart per quarter. Both are added to the quarterly utility bill, and a 120 L cart costs the same as a 240 L cart. Collection is mandatory.Residential Solid Waste Cart Application, Cart fees; Automated Waste Collection FAQ, Automated waste collection; Solid Waste Management Bylaw 5911, s. 3.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording For each garbage cart, a recurring fee of $27.59 per cart will be added to your quarterly utility bill. For each organics cart, a recurring fee of $25.62 per cart will be added to your quarterly utility bill. The cost of using a 120L cart or 240L cart is the same on your quarterly utility bill. The owner or occupier of a residential property must use the municipal solid waste collection service provided by the City
Bylaw	Solid Waste Management Bylaw 5911, 2023 (amended by Bylaw 5983, 2024); fees in City of Vernon Fees & Charges Bylaw Number 3909, 1993Solid Waste Management Bylaw 5911, s. 1.1; Fees and Charges Bylaw 3909 (consolidated), s. 1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-06 Official wording This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as "Solid Waste Management Bylaw 5911, 2023" City of Vernon Fees & Charges Bylaw Number 3909, 1993

How it works

Solid Waste Management Bylaw 5911 governs curbside collection in the City of Vernon. Standard carts are 240 L for garbage and 120 L for organics, and either size is offered for each. Collection is mandatory. Recycling is not a City service: it is Recycle BC's program, collected by Emterra from single family homes and some multi-family complexes.

Steps

Search your address on the City's collection map. Use the printable collection guide to see which weeks garbage is picked up.
Put the cart out between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. on collection day, as close to the curb as possible with the front facing the roadway, 1 m from other objects.
Bring the cart in by the end of collection day.
For extra garbage, put it in a bag with a Tag-a-Bag sticker ($2.50), beside the cart. Each bag is at most 25 kg and 0.914 m.
To add, remove, resize or replace a cart, use the Residential Solid Waste Cart Application.

Good to know

Weight limit: Bylaw 5911 sets a gross cart weight of at most 50 kg (120 L) or 75 kg (240 L), and the lid must close. The City garbage page says 46 kg (100 lb). Confirm with the City.
Set-out: the City pages say "by 7:00 a.m." The bylaw adds the 4:00 a.m. earliest time. With a sidewalk, the bylaw says the street side; the City page says on the property beside it.
Nothing may be left beside an organics cart.
Report a missed cart within 24 hours.
Tag-a-Bag stickers are also sold at the Recreation Complex.

What you'll need

Your address, to look up your collection day on the map

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Coldstream · Lake Country · Spallumcheen · Armstrong · Lumby · Enderby

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

Sources

Residential Garbage, City of Vernon (read 2026-11-05)
Automated Waste Collection FAQ, City of Vernon (read 2026-11-05)
Waste Collection Schedule, City of Vernon (read 2026-11-05)
Residential Solid Waste Cart Application, City of Vernon (read 2026-11-05)
Solid Waste Management Bylaw 5911 (PDF), City of Vernon (read 2026-11-05)
Residential Recycling (yard recycling fee), City of Vernon (read 2026-11-05)
Fees and Charges Bylaw 3909 (consolidated), City of Vernon (read 2026-11-05)

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