Have you heard the sound of lawnmowers the last couple of weekends, or have you started thinking about sprucing up the yard this spring?
You may want to consider getting an early start as Coquitlam is set to begin a seasonal campaign that can undoubtedly provide relief for local homeowners.
For the next six weeks, residents can leave out as much grass and yard trimmings as they want at their curbside — no limit whatsoever — for city collection crews to dispose of properly.
"Since the program started, the amount of yard waste material collected has doubled to almost 550 tonnes per year," explains Shannon Hadley, Coquitlam's solid waste and special projects manager, in a release today (March 30).
"All of the collected material is brought to the city’s green waste processing contractor and, along with green cart material, is turned into compost that can be used for gardens and lawns."
Unlimited grass and yard trimmings can be put out on Coquitlam curbs from Monday (April 4) through until May 13.
The material can be set out on each neighbourhood's weekly green cart collection day as early as 5:30 a.m.
Trucks are expected to begin picking up the yard waste between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
SO, WHAT'S THE CATCH?
There are some rules with Coquitlam's spring trimmings program for homeowners who receive garbage and green cart collection:
- Place all food scraps in the city-issued green cart only
- Food scraps can not be placed in kraft bags or in labelled yard trimming cans
- Ensure each bag, can or bundle of extra yard trimmings weighs less than 44 pounds
- Don't block sidewalks, laneways or streets with yard trimmings
- Don't include sod, rocks, soil and plastic bags; they are not accepted
- Be aware of fines that may apply as per the city's solid waste bylaw, if a cart is set out before 5:30 a.m.
The city has also laid out several options for residents to leave their unlimited supply of yard waste, including:
- Use garbage cans labelled with yard trimmings stickers or kraft paper bags
- Yard Trimmings stickers are free and available for pick up from the Engineering counter at Coquitlam City Hall or from the City Centre and Poirier Public libraries
- Bundle and tie branches that are less than three inches in diameter and no more than three feet in length
For more information, you can visit the yard trimmings page of the City of Coquitlam website.
