Starting Sept. 13, Victoria residents can dispose of yard waste in their organics bin, as collection shifts to a curbside pick-up model.
The change means residents will need to bring their bins to the curb on collection days, instead of having collectors gather the bins from backyards. Victoria is the only municipality in the region that currently offers garbage and organics collection from residential backyards instead of curbside.
Anyone who can’t get bins to the curb without help can sign up for the city’s Helping Hand Program to continue having their bins collected from their yards.
Accepting yard waste in the organics bin is intended to cut down on waste that ends up in the landfill. A 2020 waste-composition study showed yard waste comprised 10 per cent of material collected through the garbage stream of the city’s residential solid waste service.
The city expects curbside yard-waste collection to divert close to 400 tonnes of organic material from the landfill annually.
Prior to the September changes, yard waste has been prohibited in green bins and garbage bins in Victoria, but can be dropped off once a week at the city’s public works yard, which poses challenges for those without vehicles and with mobility issues.
To learn more about the city’s Helping Hand Program, call 250-361-0400.
