Waste Collection Safety Tips

Help our Collectors Stay Safe Around Ice and Snow

For your collector’s safety and your own, it is important to:

• Clear your ice and snow away from your collection area, and spread sand on icy areas. You can pick up free sand at your neighbourhood's community sandbox. 
• Avoid placing waste on top of windrows or snow piles or slippery areas near downspouts and sump pump discharge pipes.
• Move your vehicle off the street on collection day. If that’s not possible, keep your garbage and blue bags away from parked cars (two car lengths away) so collectors can easily see and access them.
• If you live in a cul-de-sac, park your vehicle off the street on collection day. Snow piled in the middle of a cul-de-sac makes it difficult for your collector to access your waste. 

The City thanks residents for helping make our collectors’ job safer, especially during the winter season.

Follow more key points below to help keep you and your waste collector safe. 

Thank you!

Keep it Light

Each garbage bag or filled can should be lighter than 20 kg (44 lb.) You should be able to carry each bag or can with one hand. Each bundle of brush or tree trimmings should also be below this limit, securely tied, and no longer than 1.2 m (4 ft).

Box and Label Sharps

Please ensure all glass, nails, sheet metal scraps, and other sharps are safely packaged in puncture proof containers and marked as such. For information about safely disposing of needles, syringes and other medical sharps, please visit our Needles and Syringes page.

Use the Right Can

Buying a new garbage can? Bylaw 17555 requires that cans be less than 100 litres and have fixed non-swiveling handles.

Make it Safe to Reach Your Trash

Please keep your waste collection site clean and tidy year-round. In the summer, trim back any trees or bushes around your garbage stand and remove wasps or hornet nests. In the winter, clear away snow and ice; sand if necessary.

Your waste collector thanks you for enabling them to do their job safely!