Coquitlam Garbage Schedule Helper: Pickup Day, Collection Calendar, Green Cart, Garbage Cart and Recycling Tips
This guide is built for the real Coquitlam resident moment: it is collection morning, wildlife rules matter, and you need to know whether your address is in an AM or PM zone, whether it is garbage week, whether green cart food scraps go out, or whether the issue is actually Recycle BC/GFL recycling. Start with the official Coquitlam collection calendar, then use the shortcuts below for set-out times, missed pickup, large item pickup, extra yard trimmings and United Boulevard drop-off.
Quick Answer: How Coquitlam Residents Should Check Garbage Pickup
Use the official City of Coquitlam Collection Calendar and Guidelines page. Coquitlam provides Garbage Cart and Green Cart collection for eligible homes, while curbside recycling is provided by Recycle BC and collected by GFL Environmental. Green Cart service is weekly, Garbage Cart service is every other week, and recycling follows the Recycle BC/GFL schedule for your address.
📅 Which Week Am I On? — Garbage or Recycling?
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Next pickup date
Based on your collection day
🔑 Bookmark this page to check your schedule every 2 weeks
Check the official calendar
Use Coquitlam’s collection calendar to find when your Garbage Cart, Green Cart and recycling are collected, and to sign up for reminders and service alerts.
Your set-out time changes
Morning zones and afternoon zones have different latest set-out times. This matters in Coquitlam because you must not place carts out the night before.
No overnight carts
Coquitlam warns residents not to set carts out the night before collection. Putting carts out early may result in a $500 fine under the Solid Waste Management Bylaw.
If your green cart is collected but recycling is still at the curb, do not assume the same crew missed it. City garbage/green cart service and Recycle BC/GFL recycling are separate systems. Report the right stream to the right place.
What Coquitlam Residents Usually Need Today
Most people landing here are trying to solve something before the truck arrives. Choose the closest situation and follow the official path.
I need my pickup day
Open the Coquitlam collection calendar, enter or check your address, and confirm whether your area is AM or PM collection.
My boxes or bags were missed
Recycling is a Recycle BC service collected by GFL Environmental. Use GFL for missed recycling or missing recycling containers.
My garbage or green cart was missed
For missed Garbage Cart or Green Cart collection, use the Waste Connections of Canada path shown on Coquitlam’s official page.
I have furniture or a bulky item
Eligible curbside collection customers can use Coquitlam’s Large Item Pick-Up program for up to four large household items per year.
Coquitlam Collection Calendar: AM Zone, PM Zone and Why Address Lookup Matters
Coquitlam’s pickup rules are more time-sensitive than many residents expect. You need the collection day and the zone window. The city has morning and afternoon collection zones, and recycling has its own earlier cut-off window.
Find Garbage Cart, Green Cart and recycling dates
The official calendar page lets residents check collection dates, sign up for reminders and service alerts, and use the Waste Wizard to find proper disposal options.
Open Coquitlam collection calendarMap helps, but calendar decides
A map is helpful for understanding Coquitlam’s hills, wildlife-prone areas and neighbourhoods, but it does not replace the official schedule and zone information.
Open Garbage and Recycling hubThis map gives local context only. It is not a live pickup-zone map. Your final pickup answer should come from the City of Coquitlam collection calendar and the Recycle BC/GFL recycling schedule.
Coquitlam Waste Streams: Green Cart, Garbage Cart and Curbside Recycling
Coquitlam residents should think in three streams, but not all three are managed the same way. Garbage and Green Carts are City service. Recycling is provided by Recycle BC and collected by GFL Environmental.
🟢 Green Cart
The Green Cart is for food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard trimmings. Coquitlam’s official guidance says no plastics are allowed in the Green Cart, including items labelled biodegradable or compostable.
Unclip wildlife-resistant clips on collection day and connect the clips together or to the handles to avoid clip damage.
⚫ Garbage Cart
The Garbage Cart is for waste that cannot be composted or recycled. Coquitlam’s bylaw schedule describes garbage cart collection as every other week, with green waste collected weekly.
Do not put household hazardous waste, construction and demolition waste, recyclable material, food scraps or yard trimmings in the Garbage Cart.
🔵 Curbside recycling
Curbside recycling is not provided by the City of Coquitlam. It is provided by Recycle BC and collected by GFL Environmental for single-family homes and select multi-family homes.
For missed recycling collection or missing recycling boxes and bags, contact GFL Environmental through the official recycling path.
Green Cart weekly. Garbage Cart every other week. Recycling is Recycle BC/GFL. Once you remember that split, missed pickup and sorting become much easier.
Coquitlam Set-Out Times: AM Zone vs PM Zone Rules
Coquitlam has strict set-out windows because of wildlife and collection efficiency. Do not place carts out the night before. The correct time depends on whether your area is a morning or afternoon collection zone.
Morning zone set-out window
- Garbage and Green Carts: between 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.
- Recycling: between 5:30 a.m. and 7 a.m.
- Do not place carts out the night before.
- Check the official calendar for your zone.
Afternoon zone set-out window
- Garbage and Green Carts: between 5:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
- Recycling: between 5:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.
- Set out later if possible to reduce wildlife risk.
- Do not block travel lanes or sidewalks.
Pickup-ready cart placement
- Place carts facing the street, with wheels against the curb or road edge.
- Place carts 1 metre apart.
- Keep carts 1.5 metres from parked cars.
- Keep 3 metres of open space above the closed lid.
- Close lids fully and avoid overflowing carts.
- Unclip Green Cart wildlife-resistant clips on collection day.
Common missed-cart triggers
- Placing carts out the night before.
- Putting recycling out after the recycling cut-off time.
- Blocking carts with cars, snowbanks, hedges or construction bins.
- Leaving wildlife clips fastened on the Green Cart.
- Putting plastic bags into the Green Cart.
- Putting hazardous waste in any curbside cart or container.
Coquitlam says carts should not be placed out the night before collection and warns that doing so may result in a $500 fine. In wildlife-prone areas such as Burke Mountain, Westwood Plateau, Eagle Ridge, Ranch Park and Chineside, timing and storage matter even more.
Missed Collection in Coquitlam: City Carts vs GFL Recycling
The right report path depends on what was missed. Garbage and Green Cart collection is not the same customer-service path as curbside recycling.
Contact Waste Connections of Canada
Coquitlam’s official page lists Waste Connections of Canada for missed Garbage Cart or Green Cart collection. Use this path when your City cart was set out correctly and not collected.
- Confirm it was your scheduled collection day.
- Confirm your AM or PM set-out window.
- Check spacing, closed lid and overhead clearance.
- Confirm the Green Cart clips were unfastened.
- Call Waste Connections of Canada at 604-636-3520 for missed Garbage or Green Cart collection.
Contact GFL Environmental
Curbside recycling in Coquitlam is provided by Recycle BC and collected by GFL Environmental. For missed recycling or missing recycling boxes and bags, use the GFL contact path.
- Confirm it was your recycling collection day.
- Confirm your recycling set-out time for AM or PM zone.
- Check whether containers were visible and properly sorted.
- Call GFL Environmental at 604-529-4011 for missed recycling or missing boxes and bags.
Reporting to the wrong operator slows everything down. City Garbage/Green Cart issues go to Waste Connections. Recycling issues go to GFL Environmental under the Recycle BC system.
Large Item Pick-Up in Coquitlam: Furniture, Mattresses and Bulky Household Items
Large items are not regular cart waste. Coquitlam residents who receive the City’s curbside collection service can have up to four large household items collected each year, from July 1 to June 30, through the Large Item Pick-Up program.
Up to four large items
Eligible households can choose to put out four items at the same time once per year, or put out one, two or three items at different times up to the annual maximum of four.
Do not set items out early
Use the official Large Item Pick-Up page before placing items outside. Do not leave mattresses, furniture or appliances at the curb without a confirmed program route.
Check accepted items
If an item is not eligible for large item pickup, use donation, retailer take-back, United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre or another official disposal option.
Extra Yard Waste and Trimmings in Coquitlam
Coquitlam residents have two practical routes for yard waste overflow: use the Green Cart correctly, and use seasonal or drop-off options for extra yard trimmings. Do not treat yard waste as regular garbage.
Food scraps and yard trimmings
The Green Cart is for food scraps, food-soiled paper and yard trimmings. No plastics are allowed in the Green Cart, even if labelled compostable or biodegradable.
Spring and fall collection
Coquitlam offers six weeks of seasonal unlimited yard trimmings collection every spring and six weeks every fall. A separate truck may collect extra yard trimmings at a different time than regular Green Cart collection.
United Boulevard option
Coquitlam residents can use United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre for certain yard trimmings and food waste drop-off options. Check Metro Vancouver’s accepted materials and fees before visiting.
Coquitlam says Green Carts cannot be placed at the curb before 5:30 a.m. on collection day during the extra yard trimmings event, even if they only contain yard waste.
United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre: Drop-Off for Coquitlam Residents
Some items do not belong in curbside carts or recycling. Coquitlam residents can use the United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre at 995 United Boulevard for garbage, free recycling and paid recycling/disposal categories. Always check current accepted materials, rates and lineup conditions before visiting.
995 United Boulevard
The United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre is the key Metro Vancouver drop-off facility in Coquitlam for many materials that are not simple curbside items.
Open United Boulevard facilitySeparate materials first
The facility includes free recycling categories and paid recycling/garbage categories. Examples from Metro Vancouver materials include batteries, electronics, cardboard, textiles, cooking oil, foam packaging, tires, gypsum, yard trimmings, clean wood, food scraps and mattresses.
Do not use carts
Motor oil, batteries, lighter fluid, paint and other hazardous items can cause fires or explosions and are not allowed in curbside carts. Use official disposal guidance and the Waste Wizard.
Sort your load before visiting. Mixing garbage, free recycling, paid recycling, mattresses, gypsum or yard trimmings can slow you down and may cost more.
Bear-Smart Cart Storage and Wildlife-Safe Collection in Coquitlam
Coquitlam’s waste rules are tightly connected to wildlife. Store carts and recycling securely, set them out only during the allowed window, and keep food scraps out of garbage whenever possible.
Store carts securely
Store Garbage Carts, Green Carts and recycling in a garage or fully enclosed structure inaccessible to wildlife where possible. Green Cart clips are not bear proof and should not be relied on for outdoor storage.
Use Green Cart properly
Put food scraps in the Green Cart, not the Garbage Cart. Freeze meat and strong-smelling food scraps until collection day if wildlife activity is a concern.
After 5:30 a.m. only
Place carts and recycling at the curb after 5:30 a.m. on collection day. This helps reduce wildlife access and bylaw risk.
House, Multi-Family Home or Private Service: Which Coquitlam Schedule Applies?
Most single-family homes with City carts use the official Coquitlam collection calendar. Some multi-family homes and private-service properties may have different arrangements, especially for recycling or shared bin areas.
Use Coquitlam calendar
If your home receives a City Garbage Cart and Green Cart, use the official schedule for garbage and green waste, plus Recycle BC/GFL information for recycling.
Recycling may be included
Recycle BC/GFL collects curbside recycling from single-family homes and select multi-family homes in Coquitlam. Check your building or official schedule if unsure.
Ask management first
Shared bins, strata rooms, private collection and building-specific rules may override regular curbside instructions. Ask property management before following a house schedule.
This page is for the City of Coquitlam, not Port Coquitlam or Port Moody. Those nearby municipalities have different collection systems, zones, carts and schedules.
Snow, Rain, Bears, Parked Cars and Blocked Cart Problems in Coquitlam
Coquitlam collection can fail even when the calendar is correct. The truck still needs safe access to carts and containers.
Keep carts visible
During snow events, keep containers visible and accessible. If weather prevents collection, crews may attempt to return the following day, or collection may occur on your next regular collection day.
Leave enough space
Keep carts 1.5 metres from parked vehicles and provide 3 metres of open space above the closed lid so the truck arm can lift safely.
Do not create attractants
Do not set carts out overnight, do not leave food scraps loose, and keep freezers, pet food, bird seed and barbecue residue secure from wildlife.
New Coquitlam Resident Checklist: Set Up Your Pickup Routine Once
If you just moved to Coquitlam, do this before your first collection day. It prevents the common mistakes: wrong zone, overnight carts, wrong missed-pickup contact and recycling confusion.
Set your calendar
- Open the official Coquitlam Collection Calendar and Guidelines page.
- Check whether your address is in an AM or PM collection zone.
- Sign up for reminders and service alerts.
- Save the Waste Wizard for confusing items.
- Save Waste Connections, GFL and Coquitlam Solid Waste contact paths.
Plan special disposal
- Book large item pickup before moving furniture outside.
- Check United Boulevard before loading a vehicle.
- Separate free recycling from paid disposal.
- Keep hazardous waste out of all curbside carts.
- Use extra yard trimmings guidance during spring and fall events.
Official Coquitlam Garbage Schedule Links
Use these official resources for final decisions because schedules, app alerts, accepted items, fees, drop-off hours, wildlife rules and reporting paths can change.
Coquitlam Garbage Schedule FAQ
How do I check my Coquitlam garbage pickup day?
Use the official City of Coquitlam Collection Calendar and Guidelines page. It shows when your Garbage Cart, Green Cart and recycling are collected and lets you sign up for reminders and service alerts.
How often is the Coquitlam Green Cart collected?
Coquitlam’s bylaw schedule describes green waste collection as weekly. Use the official calendar for your exact collection day and zone.
How often is the Coquitlam Garbage Cart collected?
Coquitlam’s bylaw schedule describes Garbage Cart collection as every other week. The official collection calendar confirms the exact dates for your address.
What time should Coquitlam carts be set out?
Morning zones should set Garbage and Green Carts between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m., and recycling between 5:30 and 7 a.m. Afternoon zones should set Garbage and Green Carts between 5:30 and 11 a.m., and recycling between 5:30 and 10 a.m.
Can I put Coquitlam carts out the night before?
No. Coquitlam says not to place carts out the night before collection and warns that doing so may result in a $500 fine under the Solid Waste Management Bylaw.
Who do I call for missed garbage or Green Cart collection in Coquitlam?
Coquitlam’s official collection page lists Waste Connections of Canada for missed Garbage Cart or Green Cart collection, with phone number 604-636-3520.
Who do I call for missed recycling in Coquitlam?
Curbside recycling is collected by GFL Environmental through Recycle BC. Coquitlam’s official recycling page lists GFL Environmental at 604-529-4011 for missed recycling and missing boxes or bags.
Does Coquitlam have large item pickup?
Yes. Eligible residents who receive the City’s curbside collection service can have up to four large household items collected each year, from July 1 to June 30, through Coquitlam’s Large Item Pick-Up program.
Can plastic bags go in the Coquitlam Green Cart?
No. Coquitlam says no plastics are allowed in the Green Cart, including those labelled biodegradable, compostable or municipality approved. Wrap food scraps in paper towel, newspaper or paper bags instead.
Where can Coquitlam residents drop off yard trimmings or bulky material?
Use the United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre at 995 United Boulevard for many drop-off categories. Check Metro Vancouver’s facility page for current accepted materials, rates, hours and lineup information.
Is this schedule for Port Coquitlam too?
No. This guide is for the City of Coquitlam. Port Coquitlam and Port Moody have different municipal waste collection systems, carts, schedules and rules.
Editorial and Source Verification Note
This independent Coquitlam garbage schedule guide was refreshed for garbage-collection.org using official City of Coquitlam collection calendar and guideline information, Garbage and Recycling hub guidance, Green Cart rules, Garbage Cart rules, Large Item Pick-Up guidance, extra yard trimmings guidance, Recycle BC/GFL recycling information, missed collection contact paths, wildlife-related set-out rules and Metro Vancouver United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre information.
Always verify live details with the City of Coquitlam, Recycle BC, GFL Environmental, Waste Connections of Canada, Metro Vancouver, your strata, your property manager or your private hauler before setting out carts, reporting missed pickup, paying a fee, booking large items or visiting a drop-off facility.
Final Resident Summary: Bookmark This Before Coquitlam Collection Morning
The best way to use the Coquitlam garbage schedule is simple: check the official calendar, confirm whether you are in an AM or PM zone, set carts out only during the allowed morning window, remember that Green Cart service is weekly, and confirm Garbage Cart collection for your every-other-week schedule.
Do not mix up City cart service with recycling service. Garbage and Green Cart issues go through the City/Waste Connections path. Recycling questions and missed recycling go through Recycle BC/GFL. For large items, use Coquitlam’s Large Item Pick-Up program. For extra yard waste, use seasonal trimmings guidance or Green Cart/drop-off rules. For hazardous waste, electronics, mattresses, gypsum, clean wood, batteries or bulky material, check United Boulevard and the Waste Wizard instead of guessing.
This page is designed like a local Coquitlam pickup helper: fast answer first, official links visible, bear-smart timing guidance, and no fake schedule guesses.