LABOUR DAY (September 2) HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
Commercial Garbage Collection
(Friday Holidays > collected on Thursday)
Residential Garbage Collection
Curbside Garbage & Recycling Collection Schedule
Your garbage and recycling will be picked up the same day every week, even when it falls on a holiday (except for Christmas and Boxing Day). Residents affected by the holiday change in pick-up days will be able to put out an extra four bags the following week. Note that if the extra bags are not in the bins enabling mechanical pick-up, there will be a secondary crew sent out the same or next day to collect the additional garbage.
NOTE: CARTS MUST BE PLACED 1 METER APART FROM ANY NEARBY OBJECT.
GARBAGE MUST BE OUT BY 7:00 AM, BUT PICK-UP CAN BE AT ANY TIME DURING THE DAY.
Contact
Public Works Department
Phone: 250 378 4224
Email: info@merritt.ca
Replacement Bins
Email: finance@merritt.ca
Garbage Collection
The Residential Garbage Truck operator picks up garbage from every house in the City of Merritt making a minimum of 1,700 stops a week. Using an hydraulic grabber, the team picks up 4,000 bins a week, which roughly translates into 68,000 lbs of garbage a week or 3,536,000 lbs a year. The residential garbage truck operates four days a week Tuesday to Friday. The Commercial Garbage truck driver is a part time employee that works three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). The Commercial Garbage Truck empties 324 bins a week or 16,848 bins a year.
Recycling Collection
At the same time as garbage pick-up, the City of Merritt, in partnership with RecycleBC, provides curbside collection of some, but not all, recyclable materials. Acceptable curbside materials include Paper products, Cardboard products, Hard Plastic products, and Metal products. (View Acceptable Materials). While other materials, such as glass, batteries, flexible plastic and foam, are recyclable, they CANNOT go in the curbside bin. Not all communities are alike in terms of what can be recycled curbside. Machinery is used to manage the recycling process. No manpower is available to fix “wish-cycling.” When unacceptable items are placed in the Curbside bins, they cause the whole lot to be contaminated, requiring the entire load to be dealt with as garbage. Please take the time to recycle properly.
What items are NOT recyclable in the curbside recycling bins?
Here is a list of some things that CANNOT go in our curbside bins.
- NO glass.
- NO plastic bags or other flexible plastics.
- NO paper towels or tissues.
- NO foam including meat trays. Even styrofoam with a recycling symbol 6 is not accepted.
- NO books.
- NO batteries, propane tanks, or other hazardous waste, including bleach, motor oil, and paint containers. Nothing with a Danger or Poison symbol.
- NO lightbulbs.
- NO electronics or appliances.
- NO pots, pans, metal hangers, or scrap metal.
- NO garbage. No compost. No unemptied containers. ALL MATERIAL MUST BE CLEAN.
These unaccepted curbside items must be recycled through other means, like the TNRD’s Lower Nicola Eco Depot at 2348 Woodward Rd, or other recycling depots: merritt.ca/recycling.
What items ARE ACCEPTABLE in the curbside recycle bins?
Acceptable curbside materials include:
- Paper Products: newspapers, flyers, magazines, phone books, shredded paper (contained in a paper bag), household paper & envelopes (window film removed), paper bags, cards, wrapping paper. (Items not accepted: Hardcover & Softcover books. Any paper that is contaminated with food, oils, foil, glitter, plastic).
- Cardboard Products: cardboard boxes & containers, candy boxes, paper cups & plates, egg cartons, clean pizza boxes and milk cartons. (Coated dairy cartons are an exception that can be included in the curbside bin).
- Hard Plastic Products: plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, pails (less than 25L), plastic garden pots & seedling trays, plastic containers with lids, caps, pumps, food containers. (Items not accepted: plastic bags, flexible packaging, overwrap, soiled items. Any product that has a Danger or Poison label on it).
- Metal Products: Spray containers like hairspray, cans, lids, foil containers, tin containers. (Items not accepted: pots, pans, hangers or scrap metal).
ALL MATERIALS MUST BE EMPTY AND CLEANED.
VIEW ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS
Bring unaccepted curbside items to the TNRD’s Lower Nicola Eco Depot at 2348 Woodward Rd, or other recycling depots: merritt.ca/recycling.
What kind of garbage can I put in the cart?
All regular household garbage may be placed inside the carts. Do not put hazardous waste or construction waste in the household garbage. Contain all materials, especially small particle items like dust, in a garbage bag. Anything that is placed inside the cart must be able to fall freely when dumped.
Where do I set out my cart for collection?
The garbage carts should be placed on the curbside with the wheels against the gutter, the curb, or at the edge of the roadway by 7:00 a.m. on collection day. Lane customers will need to also place the new carts in the front of their resident. Lane pickup will no longer be available. PLACE BINS 1 METER FROM ANY NEARBY OBJECT.
Can I upgrade to a larger bin?
Yes. We can exchange your regular 120L (30-gallon) bin for a larger 240L (60-gallon) bin. An annual fee of $134.92 for the larger bin will be added to your annual garbage fee. Contact City Hall.
Can I continue to use my existing standard garbage cans?
No. The semi-automated lifting arm on the collection truck does not have the ability to collect regular type garbage cans.
What about extra garbage bags?
Only garbage that is inside the container with the lid completely closed will be collected. Extra garbage stickers can be purchased for a cost of $26.62 for 10 tags and placed on extra garbage bags, which can be placed on the ground beside the wheeled cart. Alternatively, garbage can be disposed of at the TNRD Landfill.
What do I do with the cart when I move?
When you are moving (even within the City limits) the cart must stay with the property. Each cart is engraved with an identification number which is recorded with your address so the carts must not move with you to the new address.
What happens if the cart is damaged, lost or stolen?
Contact the City. The City will assess the situation and make arrangements for you to receive a replacement or repair the cart. Residents are responsible for routine maintenance, including keeping the carts clean, removing the carts from the street after collection, and storing the carts in a safe place. Any carts that are stolen or damaged through neglect or misuse will be replaced at the property owners’ expense. The cost of these bins are $75 each.
Who is Recycle BC
Recycle BC is a not-for-profit organization responsible for residential packaging and paper recycling including the City of Merritt’s residential curbside recycling program. Recycle BC provides services to 98% of British Columbians, and is funded by the producers of packaging and paper. The City is responsible for collecting uncontaminated recycling from residents and delivering it to the Lower Nicola Eco Depot. Help reduce contamination by only including accepted materials in your recycling bin. Information on accepted items can be found on the Recycle BC website at www.recyclebc.ca/materials.
