Green Cart Program

Year-round curbside collection of yard trimmings, food scraps and food-soiled papers is provided to all single-family homes, as well as to multi-family homes and businesses that have signed up for City collection services.

What Can Go into a Green Cart? Find Out Now!

Did You Know?

Food scraps, food-soiled papers and other organic materials are banned from the landfill.
More than 40% of household garbage is compostable organic material.
Green waste disposal costs half as much as garbage disposal.

How to Participate

To start, find a pail with a lid (such as a four-litre ice cream pail) and place it in a convenient place in your kitchen, such as under the sink.

1) Put your food scraps (see list below) in the compost pail instead of the trash can. You can also wrap your scraps in newspaper or place them in a paper bag, kraft paper liner bag or food waste bag made of 100% natural fibres.

2) Empty your pail into your green cart along with your yard trimmings.

3) Roll your cart to the curb on collection day between 5:30-7:30 a.m. You do not have to have yard trimmings in your green cart, and it does not have to be full, to put it out at the curb.

Kitchen Pails

As part of its waste-reduction strategy, the City of Port Coquitlam is making kitchen pails for food scrap collection available to Port Coquitlam residents for $5.00.

The kits include a quality lidded pail suitable for collecting food scraps or food-soiled papers for your green cart or backyard composter.

The pails are available at the following City facilities:

Engineering counter in the City Hall Annex, #200-2564 Shaughnessy Street, 604.927.5420
Hyde Creek Recreation Centre, 1379 Laurier Avenue, 604.927.7946
Port Coquitlam Recreation Complex, 2150 Wilson Avenue, 604.927.7970
Public Works, 1737 Broadway Street, 604.927.5488 or 604.927.5496

Avoid Paying More – Sort it Right!

While many residents sort their waste correctly, missorted waste continues to be a problem. The City has been warned that if people continue to put the wrong things in their carts, disposal fees will spike and the City could be fined.

To keep costs down, the City has begun to monitor the contents of green carts at the curbside.

If waste is missorted, residents will receive notices and educational materials. If the problem persists, fines of up to $300 may be issued.

What will happen if you don't sort properly?

When waste truck drivers spot contaminants in a property’s green cart, they will attach a warning notice to the cart that explains what can and can’t go into the cart.
A letter will be mailed to the property owner if contaminants continue to be found.
If the problem persists, drivers will stop picking up the green cart until the contaminants are removed.

Green Cart Tips

Many of these tips can be used for both your green cart and your kitchen food scraps pail.

	Reduce flies & prevent maggots	Minimize Odours	Keep cart clean	Keep animals away
Wrap food scraps in old newspaper or used paper towel.	•	•	•	•
Place food scraps in a paper bag (e.g. grocery, sugar, flour, potato or kraft paper liner bag) or in a food waste bag made of 100% natural fibres, like Bag to Earth brand.*	•	•	•	•
Put meat and fish waste in a paper bag and freeze it until collection day.	•	•	•	•
Alternate layers of kitchen waste with dry yard waste (e.g. leaves, dead plants).	•	•	•	•
Periodically rinse the cart with a mild detergent or vinegar/water solution immediately after collection.	•	•	•
Sprinkle a small amount of powdered garden lime, baking soda or powdered laundry detergent (no bleach) in the cart.	•	•
Allow grass clippings and leaves to dry before placing them in the cart.		•
Put salt or vinegar on maggots to kill them. If maggots appear in your cart, a fly has laid eggs on some exposed kitchen waste.	•
Capture fruit flies with a bowl of vinegar covered with plastic wrap with several small holes in it. Empty as required.	•
Secure your carts with a City-approved locking system or store carts in your garage or other wildlife-resistant enclosure.				•

* Please note: compostable or biodegradable plastic-type bags are not accepted because they hinder the composting process for our service provider.

Help is Available

If you are not sure what goes into your cart, please:

Use our handy Sort It Right tool
See our other online resources and information
Get in touch with our staff: by phone at 604.927.5496 or by email greencart@portcoquitlam.ca

What Can Go into a Green Cart?

Port Coquitlam residents currently divert about 66% of their waste from the landfill. If we sort our waste properly, about 75% of what is typically thrown away can go into the green and blue carts, to a recycling depot or to a take-back program.

Please note: compostable or biodegradable plastic-type bags are not accepted because they hinder the composting process for our service provider.

Green Cart Accepted and Not Accepted Items

Extraordinary Disposal

Port Coquitlam residents can bring extra yard materials to the Coquitlam Transfer Station located at 1200 United Boulevard in Coquitlam. For more information including drop-off fees at Coquitlam Transfer Station, call 604.681.5600.

Christmas Tree Disposal

Did you know you can chop up your Christmas tree and put it in your green cart? Find out how here.

Important Information

When overnight temperatures dip below zero, the City may pick up green carts later in the day than usual to allow the contents to thaw.
All waste must fit into the carts provided and the lids must close completely; no extra material will be collected.
Do not include any plastic bags or containers.
Yard trimmings are not permitted in garbage carts and will not be collected unless it is in the proper cart.
Residents who self-manage their green waste by using alternatives such as backyard composting are not required to participate in the green waste collection service.
Larger or extra carts are available for additional fees. Residents who wish to change the size of their carts, have additional carts, or to return a green waste cart, please request a Change of Service

Contact

Tel: 604.927.5496
Emergency After Hours Tel: 604.543.6700
Email: publicworks@portcoquitlam.ca

Location and Mailing Address

Public Works
1737 Broadway Street
Port Coquitlam BC V3C 2M9

Easter Long Weekend to Thanksgiving Long Weekend (Spring/Summer Hours)
7:00 am to 3:30 pm, Monday to Friday (excluding statutory holidays)

Thanksgiving Long Weekend to Easter Long Weekend
7:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday (excluding statutory holidays)

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