Collection Update: Monday, January 17, 2022

! NOTE: Extra recyclables ONLY on your scheduled recycling day. Extra garbage ONLY on your scheduled garbage day.

We expect collection days to be longer than usual, and crews may need to work into the evenings. Please keep your carts and extras out until collected. Also note that additional garbage (on your garbage day) is being picked up by a separate crew and truck.

Following your 2022 Collection Calendar, additional garbage or recycling (not both) will be collected on scheduled pickup days that fall between Wednesday, January 12 and Friday, January 21 (Instructions below). Follow your schedule to know what day, what cart and what extras to put out (extra recyclables on your recycling day, and extra garbage on your garbage day, in a tied bag).

Additional collection is for homes that were missed on any scheduled collection days since Christmas. The City will have extra staff out to manually collect extra garbage and recycling, and are renting additional dump trucks to help with capacity.

Garbage: When putting extra garbage out on your next garbage pickup day, please place your tied bag 1 metre to the side or behind the black cart (not in front). One extra garbage bag per account is allowed. An extra garbage bag can be any size as long as it would fit into your black cart (up to 77L). Please place your heavier garbage in the black cart and your lighter garbage in the extra bag. Extra garbage is being manually tossed into the truck, so lighter is far better!) Same-collection only: Please do not place any missed garbage out on your scheduled recycling collection day.

Recyclables: When putting extra recyclables out on your next recycling day, please place them in an easy-to-empty container or box that is the same size or smaller than your blue cart, and place this 1 metre behind or beside your blue cart when you take it to the curbside for pickup. All cardboard needs to be cut down to size, the same as if you were placing it in your blue cart. Over-sized recyclables will not be taken away. Same-collection only: Please do not place any missed recycling out on your scheduled garbage collection day.

As there generally isn’t any yard waste at this time of year, and since low outdoor temperatures slow the breakdown of food-based compostables, we encourage our residents to keep extra organic materials until the next scheduled collection day. Our priority for additional collection is for garbage and recyclables only, which tend to pile up and overflow much quicker than household organics.

For residents looking for a faster solution, until Friday, January 21, 2022, the RDN is offering RDN and City of Nanaimo residents free drop-off of their missed curbside waste at the Church Road Transfer Station in Parksville (860 Church Rd) and the Regional Landfill in Cedar (1105 Cedar Rd). Residents using the free drop-off will need to prove their address with identification at the drop-off locations. The free drop-off will be available for affected areas until curbside service is fully restored. 

Thanks for your patience, Nanaimo. We'll be caught up soon!

On the My Schedule tool:

• Import your schedule to your online iCal, Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar.
• Sign up for personalized reminders by email, voicemail, text message, or Nanaimo Recycles app notifications.*
• View, download, or print your schedule.
• Search the “What Goes Where” recycling directory to help you sort your waste.
• Receive Service Alerts for curbside collection delays.

*Make sure your “push notifications” are turned on if receiving Nanaimo Recycles app notifications.

Sign up for Service Alerts to be directly informed of any updates to the curbside collection services: download the Nanaimo Recycles app on  Google Play or the  App Store, or use the directions below to sign up on our website.

1. Input your address into the My Schedule tool.
2. Select the "Get a Reminder" button.
3. Pick which type of notification you would like to receive.
4. Follow the directions to complete setting up the Service Alert or Reminder.