Properly Place Waste
The City of St. John’s reminds residents that the correct placement of curbside waste helps keep our community clean and accessible for everyone. Place waste for curbside collection at the curb on collection day only between 6 and 8 a.m.
Waste Placed Early Impacts Neighbourhoods
When waste is placed at the curb earlier than the scheduled collection day, including the evening before, it can lead to an increase of litter in the neighbourhood, cause disturbances for those living nearby, and during winter may interfere with road and sidewalk snow clearing.
When waste is put at the curb earlier than the morning of collection day, it increases the chance that rodents or birds tear the bags open and litter garbage around the neighbourhood as they are scavenging. This includes when garbage bags are in the City garbage carts but the cart lid was not closed due to overfilling the cart, or in windy conditions.
We all know windy conditions are common here. When garbage carts are put at the curb the night before collection, it increases the chances the cart lids blow and bang open and closed throughout the night, disturbing the sleep of those living nearby. Storing the garbage cart in a garage or shed, or even secured close to the home or a structure, until the morning of the scheduled collection will shield the cart from the strongest winds and should keep the lid from blowing open and closed.
During winter, waste bags or carts put out early or placed on the sidewalk impedes accessibility and interferes with sidewalk and road snow clearing. The bags and carts are obstacles that in past winters has prevented sidewalk snow clearing and road widening in many areas of the city, and road clearing crews have had to return to those areas later to clear the road to standard. Carts and bags, including for recycling or yard waste, should never be placed on the sidewalk at any time of year.
These issues are all magnified during winter storms when waste collection is cancelled and waste bags or carts were already placed at the curb, or are still put at the curb when the resident didn’t learn collection was cancelled.
Subscribe to waste collection reminders and alerts so that if waste collection is postponed or cancelled, notification is sent before collection begins. Sign up at CurbitStJohns.ca, through the free app Curbit St. John’s, or by calling Access St. John’s at 311 or 709-754-CITY (2489).
