St. John’s Garbage Collection: Check Today’s Pickup, Blue Bag Week and Curb Rules
Enter your exact address in the official Curb It schedule first. It confirms the fixed pickup weekday, Week A or B recycling, seasonal yard waste and service changes. Then use this guide for bag limits, clear-bag rules, cart placement, wind and snow preparation, missed pickup, oversized items and Robin Hood Bay drop-off.
City of St. John’s Garbage Collection Schedule Today
There is no accurate citywide “today” answer because service is tied to the property address, its fixed weekday, Week A or B, and any holiday or weather notice.
The official schedule can produce a printable address calendar or add dates to Google Calendar, iCal or Microsoft Outlook. Reminder options are also available through Curb It.
Search an address and create the official calendarCity of St. John’s Garbage Collection Schedule 2026
Use these frequencies to understand the system, but use the address calendar for exact dates.
Household garbage
Normally collected on the same assigned weekday each week. Holiday and weather notices can change an individual date.
Blue bag recycling
Collected on the regular garbage weekday during the property’s Week A or Week B cycle.
Yard waste
For 2026, curbside yard waste runs from April 27 through the end of November on recycling day.
📅 Which Week Am I On? — Garbage or Recycling?
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We don't have a reference date for this city. To find your biweekly schedule, use one of these options:
Once you have the date of your last garbage week, enter it in the date field above and click Check.
Next pickup date
Based on your collection day
🔑 Bookmark this page to check your schedule every 2 weeks
Special items
Oversized items require an appointment. Electronics, metal and hazardous products use separate drop-off routes.
Set reminders in your preferred language
The 2026 City Guide says waste reminders are available in English, French, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Russian and Spanish.
Use the Curb It app when routes change
The app keeps the address schedule and disposal guidance on a phone, which is more reliable than a saved screenshot of an old calendar.
Your normal weekday stays consistent, but affected holidays and storm recovery can be handled differently. Confirm the actual date shown for the address.
Looking for the 2025 Schedule PDF or a 2023 Calendar?
Historical searches should lead to the current address calendar, not an archived schedule. Week A/B alignment, statutory holidays and recovery dates change from year to year.
The recycling PDF helps identify accepted paper and containers. It does not answer whether recycling is collected today.
City of St. John’s Garbage Collection Areas and Service Type
The current system is best understood by address, weekday, Week A/B and collection method. Older “Area 1–5” references are not a safe replacement for the live property result.
Fixed collection weekday
The address result identifies the property’s regular Monday-to-Friday collection day.
Week A or Week B
This determines the bi-weekly blue bag recycling and seasonal yard waste cycle.
Automated or manual set-out
Automated properties must use the City cart. Manual properties use compliant curbside bags and covering rules.
This guide is for St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. For Saint John, New Brunswick, use the separate Saint John garbage collection guide.
Set-Out Time and One-Metre Placement Rules
Set waste out between 6 and 8 a.m. on collection day only. Keep it visible, accessible and off sidewalks and snowbanks.
Street with curbside parking
Place the automated cart with wheels touching the curb and lid arrows pointing toward the street.
No curbside parking
Place the cart at the end of the driveway with lid arrows facing the street.
Snow or gravel shoulder
Use a stable, accessible location beside the driveway. Never place bags or carts behind or on top of a snowbank.
Leave at least one metre from
- Blue bags and yard waste.
- Other carts or waste containers.
- Parked vehicles, poles and trees.
- Snowbanks and retaining walls.
Do not create these access problems
- Blocking the sidewalk or pedestrian route.
- Hiding waste behind a vehicle or wall.
- Putting the cart out before collection morning.
- Leaving the lid open or material balanced on top.
Early set-out can interfere with snow clearing and gives wind, gulls and rodents more time to scatter waste. Store material securely until collection morning.
The official placement page includes illustrations for curb, driveway, shoulder and winter conditions.
View official waste placement examplesApril 1–November 30: Garbage Must Be Completely Covered
During the annual covering period, garbage at the curb must be protected from animals and wind. The correct method depends on the collection type.
Use a secure net
The net must completely cover the garbage bags and remain secure until collection.
Or use a lidded container
A metal or plastic container is acceptable when the lid closes tightly over all garbage.
Close the City cart lid
All garbage must fit inside the cart and the lid must close completely. Nothing is collected beside or on top of the cart.
Blue bags do not have the same mandatory cover rule, but residents may cover them on windy days. Keep any cover easy for the collector to remove and do not mix it into the recycling.
The City’s seasonal notice explains acceptable nets, containers and cart lids.
Read the official covered-garbage noticeGarbage Bag Limit, Clear Bags and Automated Carts
The household limit is four regular garbage bags per collection. All residents use clear, colourless bags, with one opaque privacy bag permitted per household each week.
Everything must fit in the assigned cart
- Use the City cart assigned to the property.
- Place all garbage bags inside the cart.
- Close the lid completely.
- Write the property address on both sides.
- Leave the cart at the property when moving.
Maximum four regular bags
- Use clear, colourless household garbage bags.
- Only one bag may be opaque for privacy.
- Cover bags during the seasonal cover period.
- Keep bags visible and accessible.
- Do not use loose grocery bags as curbside units.
Privacy-bag rule that causes avoidable stickers
One opaque bag
A household may use one opaque, non-transparent privacy bag as part of its weekly limit.
One small privacy bag
If a household uses only one opaque kitchen-size bag, it can serve as the weekly privacy bag.
Many hidden opaque bags
Several opaque inner bags inside a clear outer bag do not become compliant simply because the outer bag is transparent.
Put broken glass in a puncture-resistant container, label it “broken glass,” and place it with garbage as directed. Never place needles loose in garbage; use an approved sharps container and pharmacy return route.
The official clear-bag page explains the privacy exception and the reasons non-compliant bags are left behind.
Check the official clear-bag rulesBlue Bag Recycling: Separate Containers, Paper and Cardboard
Recycling is collected every second week. Use regular-size see-through blue bags and keep paper separate from containers.
Blue bag 1: Containers
- Aluminum trays and cans.
- Steel cans.
- Milk and juice cartons.
- Plastic bottles, tubs, trays and clamshells.
- Food, cleaning and toiletry containers.
- Tetra Pak beverage containers.
Blue bag 2: Paper
- Newspaper, flyers and office paper.
- Magazines, catalogues and phone books.
- Boxboard, paper rolls and drink trays.
- Cardboard egg cartons.
- Books with hard covers removed.
- Envelopes without bubble insulation.
Keep each bag manageable
There is no stated number limit for regular blue bags, but each bag must weigh less than 50 pounds.
Bag it or tie one bundle
Use a blue bag or a bundle no larger than 60 × 60 × 30 centimetres. Do not tie a bundle and then place it inside a bag.
Common contaminants
No glass, Styrofoam, plastic bags or wrap, wrapping paper or regular garbage in blue bags.
Flatten boxes before collection. Remove plastic wrap and packing foam. If the bundle is larger than the stated dimensions, divide it into smaller compliant bundles or use the Robin Hood Bay cardboard bin.
The curbside recycling page explains blue-bag separation, cardboard and set-out. Use the Waste Wizard for an item not covered here.
2026 Yard Waste Collection and Free Compost
For 2026, curbside yard waste starts April 27 and continues through the end of November on the same day as recycling. Use the address schedule to confirm each collection date.
Paper yard waste bags only
Bags must close securely, be free from rips and tears, and be light enough to lift from the top. Plastic bags are not collected.
Under 22.7 kg per bag
There is no stated bag-count limit, but every paper bag must weigh less than 50 pounds.
Use a small tied bundle
Bundles must be no larger than 60 × 60 × 30 centimetres. Individual branches must be no more than 2.5 centimetres in diameter.
Accepted curbside material
- Leaves and grass clippings.
- Plants, shrubs and weeds.
- Twigs and compliant small branches.
- A limited amount of soil, sod or dirt.
Soil and bag condition limits
Soil, sod and dirt may make up no more than 5 kilograms of a bag’s total permitted weight. Torn, leaking, plastic or unliftable bags can be rejected.
Free compost giveaway: before you drive
Residents must bring their own buckets or other manageable containers.
The compost area is self-service, so bring what you need to load it.
Cover and secure all compost before leaving Robin Hood Bay.
The current City notice confirms the 2026 collection period and accepted materials. The compost page explains the free giveaway.
Holiday Delays, Storm Cancellations and Recovery Dates
St. John’s publishes event-specific instructions. A holiday may have normal service, a one-day move or a combined recovery day. A storm may reschedule garbage but cancel recycling for that cycle.
Wind
Keep bags covered or secured where allowed. Do not use loose material or a cover that can blow into traffic.
Snow
Do not place waste on a snowbank or where it blocks a plow, sidewalk or pedestrian route.
Heavy rain
Keep paper yard bags dry enough to lift safely and avoid setting them out early.
Missed Garbage, Recycling or Yard Waste Pickup
First determine whether the material was missed or rejected. A sticker normally explains a correctable set-out or sorting problem.
Wrong week or mixed material
Common causes include the wrong recycling week, glass or foam, plastic bags, or paper and containers mixed together.
Limit, lid or placement issue
Common causes include more than four bags, an open cart lid, waste outside the cart, inadequate clearance or an uncovered manual-route set-out.
Bag, weight or branch issue
Plastic or torn bags, excessive weight, oversize branches or collection on the wrong week can lead to rejection.
“My address is [address]. My [garbage/recycling/yard waste] was out between 6 and 8 a.m. The current schedule shows collection today. There is [no sticker / a sticker saying ___]. Can you check the route status and tell me the next action?”
The official sticker page explains why collectors leave material behind and what to correct.
Check waste-sticker reasonsOversized Garbage and Metal Pickup
Eligible St. John’s households can arrange one no-charge oversized garbage and metal appointment per civic address each year. Booking is required.
It must be truly oversized
The item must not fit in a regular garbage bag or cardboard box. A pile of small household items does not become one oversized item.
1.5 × 1.5 × 2.15 metres
The maximum weight is 68 kilograms or 150 pounds. Items must be manageable under the programme rules.
After 3 p.m., ready by 8 a.m.
Do not set items out before 3 p.m. the day before the appointment. Have them ready by 8 a.m. on the confirmed date.
Before booking
- Use the Waste Wizard to check reuse or donation first.
- Coordinate with everyone at the same civic address.
- Select both oversized garbage and metal items when booking.
- Save the confirmation email and appointment date.
Not accepted through this pickup
- Construction and renovation debris.
- Glass doors, windows or tabletops.
- Hazardous waste and electronics.
- Vehicle parts, tires or automotive liquids.
- Regular garbage, recycling or yard waste.
The Spring 2026 City Guide listed a seasonal May–June appointment window, and later availability can change. Open the live Oversized tab or call 311 for current booking dates.
The official oversized page provides current appointment availability, dimensions and exclusions.
Check current oversized pickup availabilityRobin Hood Bay Residential Drop-Off: Pre-Sort Before You Go
The Residential Drop-Off is at 340 East White Hills Road. It is normally open Tuesday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed Sunday, Monday and statutory holidays.
No residential card required
Residential users do not need to register for a card. Commercial and municipal loads use separate facility rules.
You unload your own vehicle
Staff direct residents to the correct area, but vehicle operators are responsible for unloading material.
Separate by material type
Pre-sorting makes the visit faster and prevents reusable or recyclable material from going into garbage.
2026 City Guide drop-off sorting plan
Check current hours, secure the vehicle load, keep hazardous products separate, wear suitable footwear and gloves, and arrive early enough to unload before closing.
The official RDO page confirms access, hours and the on-site process. The Spring 2026 City Guide PDF provides the current pre-sort overview.
Household Hazardous Waste: Hours and Safe Transport
The Robin Hood Bay household hazardous waste depot is for residential material and is normally open Wednesday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Common accepted examples
- Oil- and latex-based paint, stain and thinner.
- Motor oil and used cooking oil.
- Household batteries, kept separated by type.
- Aerosol cans and fire extinguishers.
- Propane tanks and fluorescent bulbs.
Do not bring through this route
- Ammunition, explosives or unused fireworks.
- Biomedical waste or sharps.
- Smoke detectors.
- Commercial hazardous material.
- Flares without checking the designated return route.
Transport hazardous products safely
The official hazardous-waste page lists accepted items, exclusions and vehicle-loading precautions.
Check household hazardous waste instructionsMissing, Damaged or Found Garbage Cart
Get the assigned serial number
Contact Access St. John’s. Waste staff can provide the serial assigned to the property and explain the neighbourhood search process.
Cause determines the charge
Collection-related damage is repaired or replaced at no cost. Other damage may be charged at cost recovery.
Report serial and location
Found cart serials commonly begin with “2SG” or “RPC.” Give the serial and exact location to Access St. John’s.
The official page currently lists $65, including taxes and delivery, when a missing or damaged cart is not covered by the City. Verify the current amount before paying.
The official cart-help page explains investigation, replacement responsibility and serial numbers.
Open cart troubleshootingHouse, Apartment, Condo or Business: Which Instructions Apply?
City of St. John’s Garbage Collection Phone Number
Use Access St. John’s for a missed route, schedule difficulty, cart problem, oversized booking help or uncertainty about a property’s collection type.
Useful email routes
- access@stjohns.ca — general City assistance.
- CurbIt@StJohns.ca — curbside garbage and recycling.
- robinhoodbay@stjohns.ca — facility and drop-off questions.
Give the full civic address, material type, scheduled date, set-out time, sticker wording, cart serial when relevant and whether nearby properties received service.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check the City of St. John’s garbage collection schedule today?
Search the exact civic address in the official Curb It schedule. Confirm the stream shown for today and then check City news for a holiday, weather or operational change.
Is garbage collected every week in St. John’s?
Regular household garbage is normally collected weekly on the fixed weekday assigned to the address. Specific dates can change because of holidays, storms or service disruptions.
What time should garbage be placed at the curb?
Place garbage, recycling and scheduled yard waste at the curb between 6 and 8 a.m. on collection day. Do not place it out the night before.
How many garbage bags can a household put out?
The regular limit is four garbage bags per collection. In an automated area, all bags must fit inside the assigned City cart and the lid must close completely.
Are clear garbage bags required?
Yes. Garbage must be in clear, colourless bags, with one opaque privacy bag allowed per household each week as part of the total bag limit.
When must garbage be covered in St. John’s?
Garbage placed at the curb must be completely covered from April 1 through November 30. Manual routes can use a secure net or tightly lidded container; automated carts must close fully.
When is blue bag recycling collected?
Blue bag recycling is collected every second week on the same weekday as garbage. Use the address calendar to confirm whether the property is Week A or Week B.
Can paper and containers go in one blue bag?
No. Accepted containers and accepted paper must be placed in separate see-through blue bags. Mixing the two groups can result in the material being left behind.
When is yard waste collected in 2026?
The 2026 curbside programme runs from April 27 through the end of November on the address’s recycling day. Check the live calendar for each date.
Can I use a 2025 schedule PDF for current pickup dates?
No. Generate a current address-specific calendar through Curb It. Old schedules can have the wrong holiday dates and Week A/B alignment.
How do I book oversized garbage pickup?
Use the Oversized tab in the official schedule or contact 311. One appointment per civic address is permitted annually, subject to current availability and item rules.
What are Robin Hood Bay residential drop-off hours?
The Residential Drop-Off is normally open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed Sunday, Monday and statutory holidays. Verify hours before travelling.
What is the City of St. John’s garbage collection phone number?
Call 311 inside St. John’s or 709-754-CITY, which is 709-754-2489, for schedule help, missed service, cart issues and oversized-item assistance.
St. John’s Resident Action Summary
Start with the address schedule, not a generic calculator. Confirm the waste stream and alert, set compliant material out between 6 and 8 a.m., keep one metre of clearance, and use 311 when a properly prepared collection is missed or the service type is unclear.
Editorial and Source Verification Note
This independent resident guide was refreshed using the City of St. John’s, Curb It St. John’s, Robin Hood Bay and the Spring 2026 City Guide. Collection dates, appointment windows, facility hours and fees can change, so use the official action link beside the relevant explanation before setting out waste, booking service or driving to a facility.
Official source review: July 22, 2026