Cart Placement

Winter Weather Tips

In a severe winter weather event, collection may be delayed or rescheduled.  Information will be communicated as a Service Alert through the Nanaimo Recycles reminder system.  Visit our Curbside Collection Schedule page to sign up to receive Service Alerts.

If there is an accumulation of snow, please ensure your carts are accessible to the mechanical arms on the trucks.

Make sure your carts can be collected by setting them out in a cleared driveway, or clear a pad for each cart that is approximately one meter by one meter.  Follow normal cart placement guidelines.

Do not place your carts on top of or behind a snow pile -- they might not be accessible to the mechanical arms of the truck, or they might pose risk of falling onto the roadway when they are set back down after being lifted.  Please ensure your carts are not blocking vehicle or pedestrian traffic.

On your scheduled day of collection, make sure your carts are accessible by following the guidelines below.

• SORT your waste correctly
  • See your cart lids for quick reference
  • Read the Recycling and Organics webpages for detailed information
  • Download the Nanaimo Recycles app
• PLACE carts out for collection by 8:00 a.m. on your collection day
  • Keep wildlife safe - don't place your carts out the night before
• SPACE carts 1 metre apart
  • Place your carts 1 metre (3 feet) apart from each other
  • Keep your cart 1 metre away from other barriers like cars, poles and utility boxes
  • Ensure there is a 3 metre clearance from overhanging obstacles
• POINT carts so the lid opens into the street
  • Arrows on top of the lids point towards the middle of the street
  • Make sure the lids are completely closed
• AVOID obstructing sidewalks with your carts
  • Carts should be placed as close to the roadway as possible, without blocking traffic, sidewalks, cycling lanes or roadways

The carts are lifted into the truck by mechanical arms, which have limited reach and require space around the carts to lift safely.

Help, I have a long driveway and don’t want to roll my carts all that way!

Residents who do not wish to roll their carts down a long or difficult driveway may choose to store them at the end of their driveway and move them to the edge of the roadway on collection day.  To prevent wildlife interactions, only place materials into your carts on the morning of collection.

My driveway is at the top of a very steep hill. Can I place them somewhere other than at the foot of the driveway so they won’t roll downhill?

Yes.  Some driveways are private shared driveways. If this situation remains an issue, call the Public Works Department.

Carry Out Service

The City of Nanaimo provides this service to individual residents that meet the program requirements to assist with collection of curbside waste.  Only certain medical conditions qualify. If you require assistance with getting your waste collected, please contact the Public Works Department.