Curbside Collection Schedule

2021 Curbside Collection Schedule FAQs

• When are the 2021 Curbside Collection Schedules being mailed?

  The schedules were received by Canada Post mid-December and should have been received by your household by end of December at the latest.  If you haven't received your schedule by January 1, please contact us.

  If you live in a home with a suite, check with the other residence to see if they received two copies.

  Your 2021 is uploaded on the Nanaimo Recycles app and the My Schedule tool.  Make sure you sign up for weekly collection reminders so you never miss a garbage or recycling day again!

• Is there a different version from the mailed calendar?

  Alternatives to using the mail out calendar are:

  • A simplified double-sided version of the calendar is available upon request – we can email a PDF for print, or mail it out to you.  Please email SortTossRoll@Nanaimo.ca or call 250-758-5222.
  • Get your Nanaimo Recycles schedule on our website (scroll down the page and enter your address) or the free Nanaimo Recycles app (for Android / iOS)
    • Get a reminder! - Weekly collection reminders via email, Nanaimo Recycles app, phone call, text message
    • Get a calendar -  Print a schedule or export to Google Calendar, iCal, Microsoft Outlook

• Why is there an irregular collection pattern in January?

  New routes are being added in 2021 to increase efficiency and limit collection delays.

  
  

  Transitions to new routes are taking place mid-January.  Residents are asked to check their calendar carefully for the month of January, as some collection days may not follow a regular pattern.

  The irregular collection days, including weekends, have been scheduled to ensure residents do not have more than a 15 day gap between garbage or recycling collection days.

  Apart from the route transition period in mid-January, your curbside waste collection service will stay the same.

• Why did you change the routes?

  The routes have been optimized to increasing the efficiency and reliability of our curbside collection services.

  The new routes have been developed to meet the needs of the current and future housing growth, and the increase in collected waste during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Optimized routes will reduce unnecessary driving distances, maintenance costs, fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

• Other than the irregular collection pattern mid-January, what else do I need to know about the route transition?

  In 2021 the collection service is transitioning to new and optimized routes. Apart from the route transition period mid-January, your service will stay the same.

  City-wide, you may notice some areas will have their Black and Green Carts out for collection, and other areas have their Blue and Green Carts set out.  This change is to balance the operators’ collection time during a full cycle, since collected recycling volumes are higher than volume, requiring more time and resources.

• What is Staff Training Day on March 3, 2021?

  No collection will take place on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.

  A Staff Training Day is scheduled on March 3 to keep curbside operators current on best practices in safety, operations and waste diversion.

• After the mid-January route transition, is the schedule the same as previous years?

  Yes, the City of Nanaimo will continue to use an add-a-day schedule system for the curbside waste collection service.  

  In the add-a-day system, collection advances by one week day following any statutory holiday.  For example, if your collection day is Wednesday, and Friday is a statutory holiday, your collection day will move ahead to Thursday the following week.  Your Green Cart is collected every week, and collection of your Blue Cart and Black Cart will continue to alternate.