Apartments, condos, and townhomes

Here we offer information and resources for building owners, managers, and residents to help manage and reduce waste in apartments, condos, and townhomes.

Services for your building

Green bin: food scraps and yard trimmings
Food scraps are banned by both the City of Vancouver and Metro Vancouver regional district from disposal as garbage.

Organic material you need to place in the green bin include:
- Food scraps
- Raw and cooked food
- Plate scrapings
- Leftovers
- Expired food
- Meat
- Bones
- Dairy products
- Paper products soiled with food residue and oils
- Yard trimmings
Under our Solid Waste By-law (356 KB), every property in Vancouver must have an organic waste diversion plan in place.

Advantages of composting food scraps

A 2023 Metro Vancouver waste audit found that 40% of items found in multi-family garbage is actually compostable, and should go into the green bin.

By placing food scraps and organic waste in green bins instead of the garbage, we can recycle essential nutrients back into the soil and significantly reduce harmful methane emissions from landfills.

Watch Metro Vancouver's video on the importance of sorting food scraps into green bin

Hire a private waste hauler or set up on-site organics management system

Most multi-family buildings in Vancouver are serviced by private waste haulers. We collect food scraps and yard trimmings from a small number of multi-family buildings. Currently, we are not accepting new multi-family buildings for this service.
- Find a green bin hauler and learn what questions to ask
- Learn about on-site composting options
Recycling
Under our Solid Waste By-law (356 KB), every property in Vancouver must have a recycling program in place.

Waste Management Canada services most multi-family buildings in Vancouver on behalf of Recycle BC. Some are serviced by GFL Environmental.

Confirm your building’s service provider by:
- Entering your address at Recycle BC
- Downloading the Recycle BC app
Recycling in Vancouver

All residential recycling for Vancouver is collected by private waste haulers on behalf of Recycle BC.

Recycle BC is a non-profit organization that is responsible for residential packaging and printed paper recycling in BC. They make sure your household materials are picked up, sorted, and responsibly recycled.

The program is funded through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) , where retailers and manufacturers are responsible for the costs of collecting and recycling materials.

For questions about collection zones, missed pick-ups, holiday schedules, or recycling containers, contact Waste Management by phone: 604-282-7961

Find nearby recycling depots and access information and resources from Recycle BC and learn more about the Recycle BC Vancouver Multi-Family program

Selecting a different service provider

If you need to select a different waste hauler, understand that:
- You will be opting out of the Recycle BC program and your recycling costs will not be offset by Recycle BC.
- You will be responsible for negotiating rates and contract terms with any new service provider.
- You will need new recycling carts, for which there may be a fee.
- You will need to notify Recycle BC of the change.
- Your existing carts will be retrieved by Recycle BC, their service provider, or by us. If your carts have Recycle BC or WM decals (stickers), contact Recycle BC for more information.
- Your new waste hauler may use a different sorting system and collect different materials. It is your responsibility to make sure their services meet your needs.
Garbage
We collect garbage in wheeled garbage carts from a small number of multi-family buildings.

Currently, we are not accepting new customers for this service.

We do not offer garbage dumpster rental service.

Factors to consider before choosing a collection service provider for your building

If your building requires a new collection service provider, here are some tips and suggestions to consider:
- Review the list of private haulers who provide garbage collection service in Vancouver (134 KB)
- Make changes to improve waste diversion in your building. Our waste audits show that recyclables and food scraps are still being disposed of into the garbage stream.
- Review resources for managing waste at your building in the section below which can help you encourage residents to divert useful materials away from the garbage.
- Estimate how much storage you will need.
  - Review the set of guidelines to learn strategies and requirements to meet our garbage and recycling regulations.
Questions to ask before choosing a garbage hauler

Collection capacity and flexibility
- How much container capacity and collection frequency will you need?
- Is there flexibility to change:
  - Frequency of collection
  - Container sizes and quantities
  - Types of material collected
Ask for flexibility in container sizes and collection frequency during the first few months of your garbage collection service and certain times of the year (like summer) when you might collect less garbage and more food scraps.

Fees
- What does the fee include? (Example: types of service provided, frequency of service, and the type of containers provided)
- Replacing missing or broken bins?
- Requesting an additional unscheduled pickup?
Container type, care, and placement
- What type of containers are offered for garbage? (Example: carts, dumpsters, split bins)
- Are containers periodically washed? If yes, how often and what is the cost?
- Is odour control provided for the containers?
- Are containers lined with bags?
- Where would the containers get placed?
  - If outdoors, are they locked to prevent others from using them?
  - If it's on a City street or lane, have you considered the extra costs for a permit to store containers on City property?
Accepted items for collection
- What garbage items are accepted and unaccepted?
- What happens when there is a contaminated load with unaccepted items?
Reporting
- What happens to the garbage after it is collected?
- Does the hauler periodically provide a report indicating the amount of waste disposed?
Additional services
- Does the hauler include or charge extra for:
  - Carry-out or jitney service (where the driver enters the building to carry out the containers for collection)?
  - Educational materials and support for residents (posters, pamphlets, presentations, or training sessions)?