Garbage Disposal Fees FAQs

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General  Information

• Are these new fees?

  • These are not new fees. In the past, the garbage disposal fees have been paid as part of your property tax bill. In Burnaby, garbage is picked up by the City, but is disposed of by Metro Vancouver. Disposal (tipping) fees are set by Metro Vancouver. The City has no control over these charges, which have increased 50% since 2008, and are projected to increase an additional 41% over the next four years. As the City has no control over these increases, and in order to ensure that these Metro Vancouver fees are visible to Burnaby residents - beginning in 2013, these costs will appear as a separate item on your Utility and Garbage Disposal Fee bill.

• Is the Garbage Disposal Fee a monthly or annual charge?

  • The Garbage Disposal Fee is an annual fee which will be applied to your Utilities and Garbage Disposal Fee Bill.

• Is the yard waste container affected by the disposal fee ?

  • No, the yard waste containers are not affected by the garbage disposal fee.

• Will the Garbage Disposal Fee increase next year?

  • Current year rates are based directly on what Burnaby must pay to Metro Vancouver to dispose of the garbage produced by Burnaby residents. If the garbage disposal rate set by Metro Vancouver for next year changes then the rates set by the City may be affected. The City does not have any control over the Metro Vancouver disposal (tipping) fee rates.

• What is the City doing to reduce the cost of disposing of garbage?

  • In order to reduce the amount of garbage being disposed, the City has undertaken a number of steps: residents are provided with both a Green Bin for all food and yard waste, and a Blue Box, Yellow and Blue Bag for Recycling. In addition, the City's Still Creek Recycling Depot is open seven days a week to receive recyclable materials from Burnaby residents at no charge. In addition, citizens who produce less garbage and use a smaller garbage container will pay less than those who produce more garbage and use a larger container.

• I recycle and compost everything - why do I have to pay for garbage disposal?

  • You pay for the garbage that the City does dispose for you. In Burnaby, garbage is picked up by the City, but is disposed by Metro Vancouver. Disposal (tipping) fees are set by Metro Vancouver. The City has no control over these charges, which have increased 50% since 2008 and are projected by Metro Vancouver to increase by 41% over the next four years. As the City has no control over these increases, and in order to ensure these Metro Vancouver fees are visible to Burnaby residents - beginning in 2013, these costs will appear as a separate line item in your Utility and Garbage Disposal Fee bill.

• Is this a total fee to take care of the garbage I put out from my home every week?

  • The residential Garbage Disposal Fee covers the cost of disposing garbage at Metro Vancouver facilities only. The cost of the collection is covered under property taxes.

• Will I be charged extra for using a larger container (180L/240L/360L)?

  • The residential garbage disposal fee will be based on the size of your container.

    Garbage Toter Size (litre)	Garbage Disposal Fee
    120	$25
    180	$75
    240	$140
    360	$385

Container Exchange

• How do I find out what size garbage container I currently have and exchange it if necessary?

  • To determine the size of garbage container you currently have or to make exchanges in sizes, please contact Burnaby Engineering at 604-294-7460 or engineering@burnaby.ca.

• Can the garbage receptacle be exchanged if it is not the correct size?

  • The garbage receptacle can be exchanged for another size. Please contact the Engineering Department at 604-294-7460 to review the options available. A $50.00 service fee will apply to each exchange and the fee is required to be paid in person at the Engineering Department, Burnaby City Hall. Only the registered owner of the property (identification required), or authorized agent (documentation required), can request the exchange. The annual garbage receptacle fee is based on the size of the container in service on January 1st of the current year. Fees are not pro-rated so the change in the size of your receptacle will not be reflected until the next annual utility notice.

Billing and Payment

• How will I be charged for the Garbage Disposal Fee?

  • The Garbage Disposal Fee will appear as a line item on your Utility and Garbage Disposal Fee bill mailed out in late January.

• What if I don't pay the Garbage Disposal Fee?

  • If the Garbage Disposal Fee is not paid by Utility Levy Due Date, the 5% early payment discount will no-longer apply. Unpaid fees will be transferred to taxes on January 1, 2021 and will incur daily interest charges.

For more information, contact the City of Burnaby Engineering Department at 604-294-7460 or engineering@burnaby.ca.