Changes coming to Greener Garbage collection routes

News release
For immediate release

Saanich, BC – The District of Saanich’s Solid Waste Services team is optimizing Greener Garbage collection routes to rebalance refuse truck payloads, increase collection capacity and reduce emissions. New collection routes will start to take effect on Friday, March 28, 2025.

These updates, designed to further support Saanich’s Climate Plan, will reduce travel distances for refuse trucks and increase capacity to accommodate future community growth.

“As Saanich grows, it’s important that we adapt core services to ensure they continue to meet the needs of residents in a safe, reliable manner,” says Senior Manager of Public Works David Sparanese. “With this update, we are taking yet another step towards ensuring that our core services are delivered in a manner that will support a brighter future for everyone in Saanich.”

Up to a third of Saanich households may experience a change in their collection day due to the new routes. To minimize the impact of the changes, the District will provide supplementary garbage bag pickups during the transition period and encourage residents to bring additional garbage and organics to the Saanich Operations Centre (1040 McKenzie Avenue) free of charge. This initiative ensures that those with a longer interval between collections have sufficient disposal options.

Additionally, on Monday, March 31, a special pickup is scheduled for approximately 2,800 homes which were facing an extended collection cycle without a pickup. Affected residents will receive a letter alerting them to the changes and reminding them about when to put their carts out.

Impact of previous route changes

Since implementing route changes in July 2024, Fleet Services have calculated that Solid Waste Services fuel consumption in December 2024 was 13.3% down from the annual monthly average, which equates to approximately 6.54 tons of GHG reductions.

Missed collections

If your carts are not collected on the day specified in our Greener Garbage collection calendar or in the Greener Garbage app, please contact us at greenergarbage@saanich.ca.

To ensure a smooth transition for residents, the Solid Waste Services team will be employing extra trucks dedicated to picking up missed collections. This will allow residents who are affected by the change a longer grace period to become familiar with their new collection day.

Sign up for notifications and be prepared

Residents are encouraged to check their updated collection calendar, download the Greener Garbage mobile phone application or visit saanich.ca/greenergarbageday to stay informed about their new collection day.

It is important that residents have their garbage and organics cart out by 7:00 a.m. on collection day. This will prevent missed collections and help Saanich crews work more efficiently.

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Media contact:
Saanich Communications
media@saanich.ca