Departments - Town of Yarmouth

The town picks up solid household waste every week from Tuesday to Thursday – with the collection day depending on where you live. Check out the Municipal Collection Services Map at the bottom of this page to see what days that collectors will be in your area. Here's how it works:

Regular garbage and compost are picked up on alternating weeks.
Recycling is picked up every week.
Residential clean-up is collected on your regular garbage day. (There is no longer spring and fall pickup, as these have been folded into the monthly collection).
Metals and White goods are collected on the last Friday of each month.
Waste wood is picked up the first Friday of each month from April to November (excluding holidays).

Please see the Waste Separation Guide to learn what belongs in each category. To ensure collection, all of your waste materials should be placed curbside by 7 AM on your scheduled collection day.

Holidays will only affect the collection of your waste if the holiday falls on your regular collection day. Please refer to your calendar (deposited each December in your mailbox – tape it inside your cupboards for easy access!) or the Yarmouth Vanguard for alternate pick-up dates, or call Waste Co. at (902) 742-3490. The schedule is subject to change without notice.

Living and working on the waves, we understand the importance of the environment for our shared future. Along with the province, Waste Check, and our community, we're doing our part to keep Nova Scotia green and beautiful for everyone. By wasting less and recycling more, Nova Scotia's waste management approach is literally turning trash into treasure – exploitable resources with massive environmental, economic and social benefits.

We believe our waste management approach can help position Nova Scotia among world leaders in environmental stewardship. So don't let Yarmouth go to waste! Here's what you can do.

Waste Collection

CLEAR BAGS ONLY FOR GARBAGE

As of April 1, 2024, solid-coloured garbage bags will be rejected at the curb and transfer stations. While Waste Check adopted a clear bag program for garbage in 2007, the use of one solid-coloured bag per residence was previously allowed. However, only clear bags with no colour are now accepted in the Town of Yarmouth.

For waste that is sensitive or private in nature, such as sanitary products, one non-transparent privacy bag that is no larger than twenty by twenty-two inches in each clear bag will be accepted.

Leaves No No Plastic Bags for Yard Waste

Plastic bags can not be used to put out leaves and yard waste for pickup. You must use your green cart or paper bags. So as your fall cleanup begins, please remember to not use plastic, as we are continually trying to reduce the quantity of plastic arriving at our compost facility.

In Yarmouth, waste is collected curbside on scheduled days. We use a 2 blue bag recycling system – one bag for paper products and one bag for containers (glass, plastic and metal). Cardboard can be bundled for collection. Food and other organic waste is collected in a green bin. Another household waste (garbage) is collected in clear transparent bags. There are special programs in place for pharmaceutical waste, household hazardous waste, and electronics. If you have any questions about any of our waste programs, please contact Waste Check at (902) 742-1312 or visit them at wastecheck.ca.

Businesses are responsible for their own disposal needs and must follow the pdf Solid Waste Storage, Collection and Disposal By-Law.(221 KB) Any dwelling with 5 or more units is categorized as commercial. Every apartment building in Yarmouth is required to follow the same waste management rules – with bins (or other appropriate storage) for garbage, recyclables, cardboard and green cart(s) for food waste and organics. In turn, tenants are responsible for sorting waste in their units and putting the material in the proper place for collection.

Solid Waste Park

The Yarmouth County Solid Waste Park at 1932 Hardscratch Road is owned and operated by the Municipality of Yarmouth, Municipality of Argyle and the Town of Yarmouth. The Town of Yarmouth owns and operates the Compost Facility, which provides service to Yarmouth and Digby Counties. Each Municipality and Town disposes of residential garbage, compost and recycling. Everyone, including all residents and businesses, is required by law to sort their waste into three streams. All residual waste is brought to the Transfer Station, while all recycling is brought to Scotia Recycling Ltd. at 100 Donald E Hiltz Connector Road, Kentville, Nova Scotia.

Residential hazardous materials such as corrosive cleaners and solvents, house and garden pesticides and herbicides, etc. should be dropped off at the Solid Waste Park for proper disposal.

The Solid Waste Park also includes a Construction & Demolition (C&D) Site, where waste wood, metals, and asphalt shingles are separated on-site. Any remaining materials from the C&D Site are landfilled. Metals and white goods are baled and sold to Limar Enterprises in New Brunswick. Every year, waste wood at the C&D Site is chipped. For information on Waste Park fees, go to Town Fees.

Resources for Residents and Businesses

Waste Separation

Find out how to separate trash, recyclables, compostable organics, and waste wood, as well as where to take pharmaceutical waste (e.g. needles) and electronics. For more information go to Waste Separation.

Collection Schedule

See when solid household waste will be picked up in your area. For more information go to Collection Schedule.

Composting

Learn about the benefits of saving organic waste, and how to get your green cart fixed or replaced. For more information go to Composting.

Household Hazardous Waste

Find out what to do with bleach, propane tanks, motor oil, and other hazardous materials that don't belong in the regular trash. For more information go to Household Hazardous Waste.

Waste Park Fees

Tipping fees at the Yarmouth County Solid Waste Park are charged to run and maintain the park. Learn more at Town Fees.

Recycle Coach App

Looking for an easier way to manage your household waste? Download the free Waste Check Recycle Coach smartphone app from your favourite App Store. Get answers to all your waste/recycling questions instantly, including:

A detailed pick-up schedule customized to your area with optional reminders to ensure you never lose track again
Easy “What Goes Where?” search gives proper recycling/disposal information (no more guessing!)
Keep important local contacts at your fingertips
Find information on your local waste-handling facilities
Get details on special dates and events in advance

snow

Yarmouth’s Public Works Department is responsible for making our streets and sidewalks safe and accessible for pedestrians and properly equipped vehicles. We provide snow and ice control for a number of areas within the town, including:

roughly 68 kilometres of streets
50 kilometres of sidewalks
a number of parking lots
yard areas for the Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Town Hall, the RCMP building, Fire Hall, and Public Works Facility

While we work to keep the streets and sidewalks reasonably clear of snow, Yarmouth’s residents and business owners are responsible for removing snow and ice from other areas – including non-plowed sidewalks, pathways, and dangerous icicles. Learn more at Snow Removal.

For information on snowplows and parking, check Snow Plowing.

streets

The Road and Sidewalk Division of Operational Services takes care of the maintenance and improvement of Yarmouth's streets, sidewalks, and curbs. We're responsible for covering:

Street cleaning and maintenance
Sidewalk cleaning and maintenance
Roadside cleaning and maintenance
Sewer cleaning and maintenance
Storm drainage maintenance
Snow and ice removal
Street & traffic sign maintenance

Street and Sidewalk Maintenance

Our street maintenance routine includes a scheduled route by the street cleaner, repaving of roads, patching cracks, ruts and potholes, and patching cuts from utility work. Supervisory staff of the Operational Services Department identifies areas to be repaired, and all patching/paving work is contracted out by tender. (For the latest on this process, check out our Tenders & Proposals updates.)

Our annual sidewalk inspection program is carried out by supervisory staff, which identifies areas of the sidewalk that need to be repaired or replaced. We look for areas such as hazardous sections of the sidewalk, broken curbs, places where asphalt sidewalks need to be replaced, and replaces sidewalks and curbs that were cut for utility work. All repair and replacement work on sidewalks and curbs are contracted out by tender. Three days a week, the Madvac cleans debris and garbage from the sidewalks.

Roadside maintenance keeps the gravel shoulder maintained. Roadside areas are mowed and cleaned by the town staff, and roadside ditching is also performed as needed. This maintenance is done to remove debris, gravel, etc. to ensure the proper flow of stormwater.

Water and Sewer Maintenance

Operational Services also maintains the sewage collection system, which includes our sewer drainage network. A yearly flushing, cleaning, and video inspection program is performed on the sewer line as part of regular maintenance. This yearly program is contracted out by tender.

The semi-annual flushing program in April and October, along with maintenance and repair, keeps our water main operating smoothly. Operational Services is responsible for the water mains that begin in Lake George and end in town. The in-town distribution system receives clean water from these water mains and also requires maintenance and repair. This distribution system provides clean, safe drinking water to every home and business in the Town of Yarmouth, plus some homes and businesses in Yarmouth County. To ensure the hydrants are readily available and in working order for the Fire Department, we also perform spring and fall inspections and maintenance.

Storm drainage maintenance is done by inspecting and cleaning the catchbasins and replacing them as needed. The storm drainage system is cleaned, inspected, and maintained on a regular basis.

Your Responsibilities

While Operational Services removes snow from sidewalks and streets and helps to control the build-up of ice, fighting the onslaught of winter is a shared responsibility. Learn more about your responsibilities on Snow Removal, or see the pdf Streets and Sidewalks By-law(174 KB) .