The new automated curbside recycling collection service will begin May 3, 2021.

The new automated curbside recycling collection service will be provided to City of Cranbrook residential dwellings that currently receive manual garbage collection. You can verify if you are included in the program by searching for your address at www.cranbrook.ca/recycling.

The new service is only provided to those households currently receiving solid waste collection from the City of Cranbrook.

Recycling will be collected bi-weekly.

No, glass collection will not be part of the new automated curbside collection service.

The Recycle BC program requires the separation of glass from other recycled items. When glass is collected as part of the curbside program, the glass often breaks, contaminating the load and causes a hazard for the drivers and the workers at the sorting facility. If the load becomes contaminated with broken glass it may not be sorted through and may end up going to a landfill. Therefore, if glass is collected at curbside, it would need to be collected in a separate bin.

Glass can be returned to the RecycleBC Depot at the Cranbrook Transfer Station. Deposit or refundable glass containers such as pop, juice, wine, beer, and liquor bottles should be returned to the Return-It Centre for refund.

Simplify your life with the "Get a Reminder!" feature and never miss a collection day again! Sign up to receive email notifications and alerts regarding your collection schedule.

Your calendar can be found by using the feature on our recycling webpage at www.cranbrook.ca/recycling.

Between April 9 and April 21, 2021, each City of Cranbrook household who receives garbage collection will receive a wheeled recycling cart (blue lid). An information package will accompany the cart. Throughout the guide, you will find helpful information on how to use your new cart, details on the new curbside collection service and tips on how to best manage your recycling.

Between April 9 and April 21, 2021, GFL will be delivering a wheeled recycling cart to each City of Cranbrook residential household. If you have not received your cart by April 22, 2021, please notify the City via 311 to ensure the cart is delivered to your property as soon as possible in advance of the new automated curbside collection service commencement in May 2021.

We ask for your patience as it will take time to coordinate and fulfill these requests with GFL during the initial roll-out.

The City is receiving a grant from the RDEK for the purchase of the carts over a 5-year term. Residents are not required to pay for the cart. If your cart is lost or stolen, fees may be charged as per the Solid Waste and Recycling Bylaw No 4011, 2020.

The recycling cart is 240L.

Depth - 27 inches (68.58 cm)
Width - 36.5 inches (67.31 cm)
Height - 43.6 inches (110.74 cm)

The cart weight is 30.1 lbs.

Paper products and packaging (i.e. boxboard, cardboard, newspaper, mixed paper, magazines), metal and plastic containers are accepted in the City of Cranbrook’s curbside recycling program.

For detailed information on acceptable materials and how to prepare them, please refer to the What Goes Where guide or use the Waste Wizard to search recycling options for hundreds of items.

Please note: the following items are not accepted in the curbside recycling collection and can be taken to the RecycleBC depot at the Cranbrook Transfer Station:

• Glass
• Soft plastic (plastic bags and plastic wrapping)
• Household glass containers
• Styrofoam packaging (cushion packaging and food trays)
• Overwrap
• Electronics

As long as it fits inside your recycling cart, the material will be collected.

Recycle BC does not permit soft plastics (i.e. plastic grocery bags) to be collected as part of the curbside collection program as it causes operation issues at the processing facilities.

The City will own and be responsible for the maintenance of the carts. The carts will be assigned to each household and will stay with the property. The carts will be equipped with identification tags to provide GPS location coordinates to the assigned address; therefore, it is important that the carts stay with the assigned property.

If the cart is damaged as a result of manufacturer's defect, please contact the City via 311 or 250-426-4211 to have it serviced/replaced under the extended warranty. Please note, if your cart is deemed to be damaged as a result of abuse, you may be responsible for the replacement cost.

If your cart is lost or stolen, GFL will try to recover it using it's serial number and electronic identification tag. Please contact the City via 311 or 250-426-4211 to report the missing cart. If the contractor cannot locate your cart, your household may be responsible for the replacement cost.

Replacement costs are charged against the property at $75.00.

No. The carts may look similar but they are different. The City of Cranbrook’s carts will be Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagged to your address. All carts are equipped with a RFID tag and a unique serial number linked to your assigned property. The new collection trucks are equipped with a RFID reader and an onboard computer to verify that residents are using their assigned cart. The cart that will be delivered to your home was chosen for its technical specifications, in particular, its durability and compatibility with the automated collection truck.

For clarity, only carts provided by the City of Cranbrook are compatible with the new automated curbside collection truck and only City of Cranbrook carts will be collected.

The cart has large sturdy wheels and a stable base making it easy to move on pavement, gravel, grass and even snow. However, there are circumstances where this may not be possible.

Residents who do not wish to roll their cart down a long or difficult driveway may choose to store it at the end of their driveway within the property limits, ideally inside a shelter, and move it to the edge of the roadway on collection day.

No. Keep your recycling loose, not bagged or nested. A liner, bag or any plastic film in your recycling is considered  contamination. It will cause issues with the equipment in the truck and sorting facility and may result in the material that would have otherwise been recycled, ending up in the garbage.

The new automated curbside collection service is paid for by RecycleBC and the RDEK. RecycleBC covers a portion of the collection fee. The City received a grant from the RDEK for the purchase of the carts.

Any extra costs are expected to be covered under the current solid waste fees that are collected from City residents.

No, curbside collection service is a mandatory service for all City of Cranbrook single family dwelling units. Single family dwelling units are required to comply and pay the utility fees in accordance with Bylaw 4011.

It is impossible for our system to track of the occupancy of rental properties. The administrative work required to keep track of occupancy of every residence would be significant and likely increase the cost of service. If the dwelling is deemed habitable (intended for living and sleeping, with cooking and bathing facilities), the owner will receive curbside collection services.

No, your collection schedule will remain the same. Recycling will be collected bi-weekly on the same day as your garbage collection.

Use our 311 app or our website www.cranbrook.ca/recycling to find your schedule and sign up for service alerts.

The order in which the driver collects material on their respective routes can change without notice. The driver is obliged to collect your recycling on your scheduled collection day between 7:30 AM and 5 PM (unless otherwise permitted by the City) but the time is not specified. If you put out your material after 7:30 AM and the collection truck has already passed your house, it will not be considered as missed collection and will not be picked up.

The curbside collection schedule follows an add-a-day system. After each statutory holiday that falls on a weekday (Monday - Friday), your scheduled collection day will advance by one day. 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. If you are unsure of your collection day, use the 311 app or our website www.cranbrook.ca/recycling to check your collection schedule.

Severe winter weather, such as snowy and icy conditions or roads blocked by downed trees or power lines, may cause GFL to temporarily delay or cancel curbside recycling collection. For service disruptions, the City will notify residents through our various media channels, our website and our social media pages.

The placement of the cart is very important because the automated truck's mechanical arm needs enough room to pick up and empty the cart.

General rule of thumb for proper cart placement:

• Place wheels against the curb without impeding roadway or bike lanes
• Leave 1m (~3ft) of space around your cart
• Do not block the sidewalks, roadway or bike lanes

Keep the cart away from barriers like cars, poles and utility boxes.

When your cart is delivered, it will be placed in the location it should be for pickup. For the majority of residents, please place carts at the end of your driveway, adjacent to roadway.

City staff and GFL will be addressing the problematic areas ahead of the cart deliveries to determine the most suitable areas of cart placements. If it remains an issue or you are unsure of where to place your cart, please contact the City via 311 or call 250-426-4211.