Townhome

Properties have two collection carts: one for garbage (grey lid) and one “Green Cart” for organic material such as food waste, yard trimmings, and soiled paper (green lid). Garbage is collected every other week; similar to Abbotsford, Surrey, and Vancouver. The Green Cart and recycling are collected weekly. Recycling uses the blue box and bag system.

First, make sure your property falls within the garbage collection zone . If you have not received carts, or you recently moved and there are no carts at your new property, call 604-532-3533 or email carts@tol.ca.

A collection schedule for your property is available at tol.ca/calendar or you can pick up a calendar at many Township facilities. Need a collection reminder? Sign up for a call, text, or tweet at tol.ca/calendar.

Townhomes received an 80L Green Cart and a 120L garbage cart. These sizes were tested and considered the best for townhome garage space restraints and Township collection trucks.

Additional carts and exchanges can be requested online at tol.ca/exchangecarts or by phone at 604-532-3533. All requests will be subject to a $50 administration fee per cart delivered or exchanged.

Green Cart

Additional Green Carts are not available. Extra yard trimmings may be put out in paper bags or 80 L cans marked with a “Green Can”** or “Yard Trimmings” decal. Twigs and branches can be bundled using garden string or twine (no wire, nylon rope, or plastic strapping).

• Maximum branch size: 1 m (3 ft) in length and 7.5 cm (3 in) in diameter
• Maximum bundle size: 1 m (3 ft) in length and 0.5 m (1.5 ft) in diameter
• Maximum bundle, container, or bag weight: 20 kg (44 lbs)

**Free Green Can decals are available at Township facilities

Garbage

Most properties can avoid additional fees by maximizing use of the Green Cart and recycling programs. 60-70% of household waste can be recycled or composted. If your property is still generating too much garbage for your cart, you can choose from the following options:

1) Extra garbage stickers

Properties that occasionally produce extra garbage may purchase extra garbage stickers. Excess garbage must display an Extra Garbage sticker per bin or bag in order to be collected. The stickers can be purchased from one of the facilities listed below at a fee of $3.00 per sticker.

• Aldergrove Credit Union Community Centre
• Civic Facility
• IGA Marketplace 
• George Preston Recreation Centre
• Langley Centennial Museum 
• Operations Centre
• Walnut Grove Community Centre
• W.C. Blair Recreation Centre
• Willoughby Community Centre

Important Note: Extra garbage will only be collected on the weeks designated for garbage collection.

2) Additional Carts

Properties that regularly produce excess garbage may obtain up to two (2) additional garbage carts for their property. Additional fees will be applied to your annual tax notice. Please see Cart Sizes and Rates – Townhome for more information.

The annual garbage fee is dependent on the size and number of garbage carts you have. If townhome, rowhome and mobile home properties use the standard 120L garbage cart provided, they will pay a lower annual rate over previous years. If your property needs a larger 240L garbage cart (or two 120L garbage carts) you will pay approximately the same as previous years. See Cart Sizes and Rates – Townhome for more information.

See Cart Sizes and Rates - Townhome.

The 80L size provided is the smallest size that will fit on the semi-automated collection truck. Please put your Green Cart out regularly, even if it isn’t full.

Research from across North America shows that moving to biweekly garbage collection will maximize the amount of food scraps being diverted from landfills and incinerators. Other municipalities in the Metro Vancouver region are using this collection schedule, including Surrey, Abbotsford, and Vancouver.

Most of the material that will cause odours or attract pests will be in the Green Cart that is picked up every week. To mitigate concerns about odours, wrap your food scraps in paper, keep your lid closed, and put your cart out every collection day, even if it isn’t full.

Here are some tips:

• Line the bottom with newspaper
• Layer food scraps under yard trimmings
• Sprinkle with baking soda or powdered garden lime
• Store it in the shade
• Place it outside every week for collection, even if it isn’t full
• Wash it regularly
• Keep the lid closed at all times.

Common reasons are:

• It was not your scheduled pick-up week (for garbage)
• Your carts were not left at the curb by 7:30am
• Your cart was overflowing with the lid unable to shut. Extra garbage stickers should be purchased for overflow garbage
• Your carts contained unaccepted and/or banned materials 

Look for a tag on your cart to explain why it was not collected.

If you have additional questions or need further assistance, call Sierra Waste Services at 604-530-3939. If you are still not satisfied, call us at 604-532-3533.

Metro Vancouver municipalities are required to recycle or compost 80% of all waste by 2020. Food scraps comprise about 40% to 50% of household waste, and garbage disposal costs are significantly higher than recycling and composting. As of January 1, 2015, food scraps  are banned from Metro Vancouver landfills and transfer stations.

The Solid Waste Management Bylaw 2011 No. 4845 was approved summer 2011. The bylaw requires food scraps to be separated from regular garbage.

Having a Green Cart solves the problem of what to do with meat, cooked food, and dairy products. Meat, bones, dairy, and cooked food should not go in backyard composters as they create odour and attract pests.

These bags do not compost quickly enough for local composting facilities and cannot be accepted in municipal collection. Instead, use paper bags designed for food waste or wrap your food scraps in newsprint.

If you have higher volumes of yard trimmings at certain times of year (e.g. leaves in the fall), we recommend keeping your 80L Green Can or Yard Trimmings cans, marked with a Green Can decal, for these times. If you plan to occasionally put out extra garbage using Extra Garbage stickers, you may also wish to keep a garbage can. Here are some other ideas of how you can reuse or upcycle your old cans:

To dispose of an old can, arrange a Large Item Pick Up* through Sierra Waste Services at 604-530-3939.

*residents are entitled to 4 large items picked up per year by appointment.

• Store outside toys, pool toys, camping gear, gardening supplies and tools, charcoal/firewood, Christmas lights, animal feed, or your earthquake and survival kit.
• Plant potatoes - take a look at this tutorial  for detailed instruction and save garden space for big vertical yields.
• Turn it into a rain barrel - take a look at this tutorial  for detailed instructions.

The cart program is available by request to all townhome, rowhome, and mobile home complexes within our garbage collection zones . All units in the complex must agree to the service; individual units cannot opt in or out. Have your strata council or property manager contact us at 604-532-3533 for more details.

Carts are linked to the property address and should stay at the property. Please clean out your carts and leave them behind for the next resident. If you are moving within the Township to a property that receives municipal garbage collection and there are no carts when you move in, contact us at carts@tol.ca or 604-532-3533.