Yard Waste
Yard & Garden Waste Landfill Ban
Yard and garden waste isn't garbage. It is an important natural resource than can be easily composted to benefit our environment and contribute to sustainability in our region.
Yard and garden waste is banned from landfilling at Hartland.
The Hartland bin area continues to accept source separated yard and garden waste for chipping and recycling, for a fee.
There are several alternatives to throwing yard and garden waste out with the garbage. You can compost it in your backyard compost bin, take it to the Hartland or a local depot for chipping and recycling, or hire a collection service to pick it up.
Yard and Garden materials not included in the ban
- tree branches over 3 inches in diameter
- invasive species
- morning glory, blackberry, wild mustard, ox-eye daisy, wild carrot, couch grass and poison hemlock
- plants or growing media identified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for disposal
How to prepare invasive species for landfill disposal
Invasive species should not be composted in your backyard composter and should be disposed of in the garbage. Invasive plant seeds can spread when material is transported for disposal. We recommend you place invasive plants in clear plastic bags clearly marked ‘INVASIVE SPECIES’ so your service provider can identify them as garbage, not yard and garden material. Please contact your local waste service provider for further information on collection and disposal options.
If you plan on transporting your invasive plant materials to facilities accepting them please make sure your load is covered and secure. Read more 
Yard Waste Services
Consult our myrecyclopedia listing under Yard & Garden Waste for a list of companies that offer drop.off and pick-up services.
Or consult the Yellow Pages listings under:
Municipal Yard Waste Depots
Colwood Residents
- Colwood Public Works Yard, 3300 Wishart Road
- First & third Saturday of each month 8:30am-4pm
Esquimalt Residents
- Canteen Composting, 605 Canteen Road (accepts pumpkins)
- Monday-Saturday 8am-5pm
North Saanich Residents
- North Saanich Public Works Yard, Littlewood Road
- First & third Saturday of each month 9:00am-1:00pm
Oak Bay Residents
- Oak Bay Public Works Yard, 1771 Elgin (accepts pumpkins)
- Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm, Sat 8-12pm
Saanich Residents
- Saanich Parks and Public Works, 1040 McKenzie Avenue
- Monday-Friday Nov 3/08-Mar 27/09 8:30am-4:30pm
- Monday-Friday Mar 30/09-Oct 30/09 8:30am-8:00pm
- Saturday 9am-1pm
Victoria Residents
- Victoria Public Works Yard, 417 Garbally Road (accepts pumpkins)
- Saturday 7am-1pm
View Royal Residents
- Canteen Composting, 605 Canteen Road (accepts pumpkins)
- Monday-Saturday 8am-5pm
Municipal Leaf & Branch Pick-up
Contact your municipality to find out about yard waste pick-up services offered:
- Esquimalt 250.414.7108
- Oak Bay 250.598.4501
- Saanich 250.475.5595
- Sidney 250.656.1034
- Victoria 250.361.0600
- View Royal 250.479.6800
Food Waste Recycling
- reFUSE
Tel: 250.883.6467 - Community Composting
Tel: 250.884.7645
Yard and Garden Bylaw Definition
“Yard and Garden Waste” means organic materials, substances or objects including, but not necessarily
limited to, grass, lawn and hedge clippings, grass sod, flowers, weeds, leaves, vegetable stalks, shrubs,
and shrub and tree branches less than 75 mm (3 inches) in diameter, but does not include:
(a) invasive species plants set out in the Schedule to the Spheres of Concurrent Jurisdiction – Environment and Wildlife Regulation, B.C. Reg. 144/2004;
(b) morning glory, blackberry, wild mustard, ox-eye daisy, wild carrot, couch grass and poison hemlock;
(c) plants or growing media that may have been identified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency from time to time as infectious or potentially infectious and of which notice has been sent to the Capital Regional District or publicized by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency; or
(d) plant or tree material in municipal street sweepings.
© Image courtesy of Elf Sternberg