Courtenay Again Offering Seasonal Excess Yard Waste Drop-Off

City of Courtenay residents with excess yard waste this spring have another option for disposal.

The drop-off collection point at the end of McKenzie Avenue will be available again for a limited time this spring.

The free seasonal yard waste drop-off program is open to Courtenay residents receiving curbside collection through the City who have excess yard waste that does not fit into their curbside collection container.

The yard waste drop-off is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., from March 15 to April 17.

Chris Thompson, Manager of Public Works Services at the City of Courtenay, says based on the success of the program last year, they decided to expand to Saturdays to provide an option for those unable to utilize the service during the week.”

McKenzie Avenue is located next to the City Operations Yard (formerly Public Works) and is accessed from Cumberland Road just west of the train tracks between McPhee and Piercy avenues.

Accepted materials for drop-off include leaves, grass clippings, flowers, plants and small branches less than 3 inches in diameter.

Materials can be either loose or contained in a paper yard waste bag.

“It’s important that collected materials are clean,” said Thompson.

“We ask residents to please ensure their yard waste is free of things like dog toys, plant pots and tags, or any other debris.“

City staff will be monitoring the drop-off point throughout the day.

Yard waste collected through the pilot program will be composted.

The City says yard waste volumes fluctuate widely throughout the year, with spring and fall seeing the highest volumes of yard debris.

In previous years, this overwhelmed the collection contractor’s capacity at peak times, resulting in collection delays cascading across each zone.

The automated collection system with standard curbside organics bins is expected to support a more balanced and regular collection schedule.

For more information on the seasonal yard waste drop-off pilot project visit City of Courtenay.