Waste Collection During Winter Months

 Where & How to Place Your Garbage and Recycle Receptacles During Winter

Heavy snow accumulation, icy roads and/or poor visibility during winter maintenance activities can make it difficult for snowplows to avoid garbage receptacles placed alongside the road. During snowstorms it may be necessary to postpone putting your trash out on pick-up days. Knowing how to make waste collection as easy as possible is important, so here are a few helpful tips that are sure to come in handy during the winter months. 

When you dig out your driveway, be sure to dig out a spot for your receptacles.

Do not place garbage and recycle receptacles in the street. We realize this cleared area is an enticing location to place garbage containers, but it creates a hazard as they could get hit by vehicles or taken away by snowplows. Most garbage trucks are equipped with a hydraulic extending arm that grasps garbage and recycle bins. It is recommended that garbage and recycle bins be placed at least 3 to 5 feet off the edge of pavement, into your driveway, so they are out of the way of the snowplow or snow being pushed aside while the snowplow is going down the road. 

Do not place garbage containers on top of the snow piles. This placement might cause your receptacles to tip over and litter your garbage along the street, and it also makes it difficult for the garbage trucks to set the cart back down. 

Timing is everything. Putting your trash out the night before collection day can make life easier, but this puts your receptacle at risk of damage during nighttime snowplowing operations. Getting up a bit early in the morning to handle this chore can avoid having containers knocked over by strong winter winds or snowplows. 

Retrieve your garbage cans soon after collection. Garbage and recycle receptacles often sit at the roadside on collection day until the evening. Empty bins are vulnerable to winds and snow removal operations and could cause a hazard if knocked into the roadway. Prompt removal of empty bins is recommended. 

These tips can make garbage collection day safer and easier for snowplow and garbage truck drivers. 

Thank you,

Theresa Burke

Highway Superintendent