Waste and recycling collection helps keep neighbourhoods clean and ensures materials are handled through the appropriate collection stream. Collection may occasionally be missed because of access issues, weather, construction, service disruptions, cart placement, or materials that do not meet collection requirements.
Residents can submit a service request if a scheduled pickup was missed for a garbage, recycling, or organics bin. When reporting a missed pickup, the service address must be entered as an exact, validated address so the request can be matched to the correct collection area. Pin drops or approximate map locations should not be used for this type of request.
The bin type is required because collection teams and follow-up actions may differ depending on the material stream. The request should identify whether the missed collection was for a black bin, blue bin, or green bin.
It is also helpful to provide the scheduled collection day, the approximate pickup time, and whether the bin was placed correctly for collection. Additional notes can be used to describe anything that may have affected access, such as construction, parked vehicles, weather conditions, blocked lanes, or other collection issues.
Missed pickup reports may include the following:
Black bin collection that was not completed
Blue bin collection that was not completed
Green bin collection that was not completed
A bin that was set out but not emptied
A collection issue affecting one address or multiple nearby addresses
Reported missed pickups are reviewed based on the service address, collection zone, bin type, and available collection records. Some areas may be handled by a separate collection provider or service process. If the address is outside the standard waste collection service area, the request may need to be redirected to the appropriate service team.
When a missed pickup is reported, the following may occur:
The address is validated to confirm the correct collection area
The bin type and scheduled collection day are reviewed
The reported issue is assessed against collection records and service requirements
The request is routed to the appropriate collection team based on area and bin type
There are a few additional things to keep in mind:
Bins should be placed out by the required pickup time on the scheduled collection day
Bins may not be collected if they are blocked, overfilled, placed incorrectly, or contain materials that do not belong in that bin
Collection may be delayed by weather, construction, access restrictions, or operational disruptions
A missed pickup request should be submitted only after the scheduled collection window has passed
Residents are encouraged to leave the bin accessible after reporting the missed pickup so collection staff can review the request and complete follow-up where appropriate.