Carts should be out by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day for the appropriate service. Remember to remove the cart from the street or alley and return it to your property within 24 hours of collection day.

To help ensure pickup, lid arrows should be pointed toward the street or lane, and the lid should be closed. There should be three feet (1 metre) of space around the cart in all directions. Drivers do not leave the vehicle; therefore, proper placement of your cart is essential.

Carts with inappropriate materials, or not set out properly, may not be collected and may be tagged with a notice of the violation. Customers will then have to wait until the next collection day to receive pick up, provided the violation is corrected.

IMPORTANT! Excess materials, whether bagged or not, left beside or on top of the cart will NOT be picked up by the collection truck and may be subject to penalties as per the Waste Bylaw.

How to place the cart on the street:

The cart must be placed with the wheels against, or as close as possible, to the curb. Do not place the cart on the sidewalk.

If there are snow banks along the curb, the cart can be placed out from the curb a little further. Do not place the cart on/behind a snow bank.

The cart should be no closer than three feet (1.0 meters) from any obstacle including other carts or parked vehicles.

If you live in a cul-de-sac, always arrange the carts from the centre of the circle towards the main street. The carts must all face the same direction and be spaced a minimum of three feet (1.0 meters) apart.

The carts must be placed on the power pole side of the rear lane with the wheels towards the fence. Don’t place the cart on the lane surface.  The cart should be no closer than 3 feet (1.0 meters) from any fence, power pole, building or obstacle. 

A common misconception is that any piece of plastic or paper is recyclable and can be thrown in the blue bin. That’s not the case. It can take less than a minute to “Hesitate – then Separate”. Simply assess your pile and figure out what is garbage and what can be recycled. Here’s a look at what is and isn’t accepted in the recycling stream.

Did You KNOW?

In addition to the blue bin recycling program the City of Moose Jaw has bulk recycling bins on the 1000 block of High Street West between the City Complex and Yara Centre. Any recyclable cardboard and plastic materials are accepted.

Did You KNOW?
The City of Moose Jaw’s recycling program diverts* over 1.48 million kilograms of recyclable material each year.
*_{Material that otherwise would have gone to the landfill.}

There are several ways you can manage your waste and recycling efficiently and responsibly.
The diagrams below show that over 75% of green bin material taken to the Moose Jaw landfill can actually be diverted to other streams (recycling, compost, etc.).

We’ve all heard that single-use plastic bags are bad for the environment. What does “bad” really mean? • Single-use plastic bags take a long time to break down in landfills and when they do, they turn into toxic micro-plastics that can leech into municipal water systems.

• They take large amounts of energy to produce.
• Unsightly – they contribute to litter. In fall of 2019 Moose Jaw City Council passed a resolution asking all stakeholders (residents and businesses) to implement a voluntary ban on single-use plastic bags. Many Moose Jaw grocery stores offer a recycling container for single-use plastic bags. Most also offer alternatives to single-use bags, but what is the best option?

The Best Bag for Your Environmental Buck

There are options to single-use plastic bags, but which provides the most practical use while minimizing the environmental impact? A 2006 international study on the lifecycle of shopping bags measured how many times different types of bags would have to be re-used in order to emit less greenhouse gases than what is used in the creation of a single-use plastic bag.

Paper – Three
• Non-woven PP – 11
• Cotton – 131

Paper is not very durable and getting at least three uses out of a bag would be difficult. Cotton is durable but is very harmful to the environment to produce and requires significant use to realize the benefit. The non-woven polypropylene bags make the most practical and environmental sense as they can be used significantly more than 11 times. Best of all, they can be thrown in the blue recycling bin when they have reached their end of life. (Simply cut off the straps.)

The City of Moose Jaw Landfill OPERATING HOURS

April 1 – October 31 Monday-Saturday: 7:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. Sunday: 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

November 1 – March 31 Monday-Saturday: 7:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

The Landfill is closed Christmas and New Year’s Day.

*Info on metal and oil

For more information on the City’s Landfill click here.

Did You KNOW? The City of Moose Jaw designates one weekend each Spring and Fall as “Free Yard Waste Weekend”, allowing residents to haul all their organic yard waste (grass clippings, leaves and tree branches no larger than 1” in diameter) to the Sanitary Landfill at no charge.

The city of Moose Jaw reminds residents that there are two Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection days scheduled for 2023. The scheduled dates for you to drop off hazardous household materials at the City Complex (1010 High St. West) are:

• Saturday, April 9.
• Saturday, August 27.
• Materials being accepted: Aerosol Cans, Liquid Household Cleaners, Batteries, Lightbulbs

• According to the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (SWRC) Household Hazardous Wastes refers to “chemical products in your home such as cleaners, paint thinners, sprays, and pesticides.”
• They can be a potential danger to you, your family, and the environment. Most of us have a variety of these products stored in our cupboards, closets, or garages.
• Products that are emptied down the drain or into storm sewers can contaminate water.
• Other examples of HHW are lightbulbs, batteries and aerosol cans.
• Hazardous products put in the garbage typically make up less than one percent of the waste stream but their presence in landfills has the potential to do more harm than the other 99 percent.

How Do I Dispose of HHW?

• Seal containers securely (screw tops, paint lids, etc).
• Don’t put items in tied plastic bags; instead, transport in opentopped boxes.
• Bring the materials in the trunk of your car to be safe.
• Please make sure all propane tanks have the valves closed and that there is plenty of ventilation in your vehicle.
• We recommend that you wear gloves when handling products. What If I Can’t Wait For Household Hazardous Waste Day? If you have any questions about how to dispose of hazardous material you can visit MooseJaw.ca How Can I Reduce the Amount of Hazardous Waste in My Home?
• Choose non-toxic alternatives to hazardous products. • Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones.
• LED light bulbs are a mercury-free alternative to fluorescent lights and are extremely long-lasting and energy efficient.
• When buying things like light bulbs, batteries, thermometers, etc., select a mercury-free option.

Did You KNOW?
The City of Moose Jaw holds two
Household Hazardous Waste days each
year (spring/late summer). You can
dispose of your hazardous materials free
of charge at the City Complex, where it
will be safely collected and disposed of
by a professional, third-party contractor.

Composting is an environmentally friendly, economical and simple way to handle organic waste such as kitchen scraps, leaves, and grass clippings. Compost is rich in nutrients and acts as a soil conditioner, improving the soil’s drainage and ability to hold water. It’s estimated that approximately a third of waste generated is compostable. When organic waste ends up in landfills it breaks down in an oxygen-poor environment and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Composting this material instead prevents methane production, extends the life of our landfill and produces valuable compost to enrich our soils. There are many composting methods to choose from. The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council has information on several composting options and a compost quiz to help you determine which method is right for you, found here: saskwastereduction.ca/recycle/resources/composting/ The City of Moose Jaw sells subsidized rain barrels and compost bins ($25 each) through the Engineering Department. For more details call: 306-694-4448.

Did You KNOW?
The City of Moose Jaw designates
one weekend each Spring and Fall
as “Free Yard Waste Weekend”,
allowing residents to haul all of their
organic yard waste (grass clippings,
leaves and tree branches no larger
than 1” in diameter) to the Sanitary
Landfill at no charge.

When you buy a new item, sell or donate the old one if it’s still in good condition.

• Clothes, furniture, toys and electronics are just some of the items that would hold value for others if still in good condition.
• Donating to the Salvation Army or other non-profit groups is always an option. Or, you can sell to consignment stores, online marketplaces, etc.
• Electronics and paint can be taken to SARCAN for recycling purposes.

Did You KNOW? Going “green” doesn’t just refer to being environmentally friendly. Generate cash by returning beverage containers (aluminum, plastic and glass) to SARCAN for a deposit refund.

Did You KNOW? You can drop off automotive oil, filters, antifreeze and their containers year-round for free at the Moose Jaw Landfill.