Garbage & Recycling

Each residential home in Fort St. John is supplied with one blue recycle cart (collected bi-weekly) and one grey garbage cart (collected weekly). Learn about our curbside collection program and what goes inside.

Waste Wise App

Where does it go? 
Use the Wizard tab, to type the name of a waste item to find out how to recycle or dispose of it.

When does it go? 
Use the Calendar tab, to type your address to get your pick-up schedule.

 

Take the Guesswork out of Going Green 

Using your curbside collection carts is easy! 

Review it: 

Review what goes inside your cart by downloading the Waste Wise app or referring to the sticker on the lid. 

Rinse it: 

Prepare your recyclables for pick up by rinsing bottles and flattening cardboard, and putting items loosely in your blue cart. Garbage should be securely bagged and placed in your grey cart. 

Fill it: 

Put items in your cart so that the lid can close. Overfilled carts with the lid open will not be picked up.

Park it: 

Put your cart out by 8 am on your collection day [PDF - 442 KB]. Park your cart on your driveway or lawn for pick up. Do not park it on the street or sidewalk. 

Point it: 

Place your cart so the arrow on the lid points toward the street.

Space it: 

Make sure there is at least 1 meter (3 feet) of space on all sides of your cart (for example, don't park it right beside your neighbour's cart or a parked car).

Remove it: 

Retrieve your cart from the curb at the end of your collection day.

Sort it Out 

Putting your materials in the proper cart helps ensure they reach the right facility, where they can be sorted, cleaned, and processed for use in manufacturing or permanently disposed of. 

Blue Cart - Recycling 

Collected bi-weekly and taken to Recycle-It Resource Recovery for use in manufacturing.

Grey Cart - Garbage

Collected weekly and taken to the North Peace Regional Landfill for disposal. 

Backyard Compost - Organics

 

Reduce your impact on our planet and improve your soil by composting at home. Learn how to compost more and waste less. 

 

Items that aren’t accepted curbside can be taken to Recycle-It Resource Recovery, North Peace Regional Landfill, the Fort St. John Bottle Depot, or your local thrift store. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of our frequently asked questions; however, you can view more frequently asked questions here.

How do I prepare my recycling? 

Making an effort to sort and rinse your recyclables means waste workers can complete their work safely and efficiently, and return home to their families at the end of the day. It also means we can provide quality materials to end manufacturers.

Remember to: 

  • empty and rinse all containers
  • remove lids
  • flatten or crush containers and boxes
  • place items directly in your cart, do not bag them (except for shredded paper) 

What if my cart was not picked up? 

If your garbage or recycling cart was not picked up on your collection day, please contact our contractor GFL Environmental Inc. at 250-785-8158 to inform them before the week is over, and they may be able to come back and pick it up. You can also use the Report a Problem tool or the Waste Wise app to inform us. Your information will be provided to the contractor in order to rectify the issue.

What happens to my recycling after it’s picked up? 

Putting your materials in your blue cart is just the beginning. Once they reach the facility, materials are sorted, cleaned, and processed for use in manufacturing. Many of the items collected in B.C. stay in Canada and North America. 

Find out more about what happens to your recycling by taking a tour of our regional recycling facilities

It Takes All Sorts 

We all have a role to play in reducing the amount of waste produced in our region. By working together to reduce, reuse, and recycle, we can build a healthy and prosperous community. Help us protect the places and the people we all love. 

Learn more about the consequences of contamination

When in doubt, don’t throw it out. 

The City of Fort St John offers tailored tools to make recycling easy and convenient. 

Download the Waste Wise app to find out what goes where. You can also sign up for reminders, print your calendar or even import your schedule into your online calendar. Never miss a collection day again!

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