Kawartha Lakes to increase leaf and yard collection days
Submitted by Doug Elmslie
As the weather gets warmer and the snow melts away, residents across the municipality are getting ready for spring. While practicing physical distancing, many of you may want to, or have already started, doing some outdoor spring cleaning. All that yard work creates additional waste, such as leaves, branches and twigs.
Kawartha Lakes landfills remain closed to the public due to COVID-19 to ensure staff and public health and safety. To recognize the desire to dispose of leaf and yard waste, Kawartha Lakes Waste Management Division has added a second spring leaf and yard pick up for this season. In addition to the scheduled June pick up, there will now be an additional pick up in May.
Please see below for the full schedule:
If your scheduled collection day is on Monday or Wednesday, your spring leaf and yard collection will occur on Friday May 1 and Friday June 5.
If your scheduled collection day is on Tuesday or Thursday, your spring leaf and yard collection will occur on Friday May 8 and Friday June 12.
Leaf and yard waste must be out on the curb by 7am and must be in dry paper yard waste bags. Wet paper bags or plastic bags will not be accepted and your materials will be left behind. Additional yard waste can be tied with string or twine in bundles of less than 3 feet in length.
Items that are not accepted during leaf and yard collection include:
* Plastic bagged material
* Wet, disintegrating paper bags
* Christmas trees
* Grass clippings
* Stumps and yard waste over 7.5 cm in diameter (and 3 feet in length)
* Soil and sod
Why are we not opening the landfills?
With the provincial extension of the State of Emergency until May 12, Kawartha Lakes has also extended our State of Emergency. Under our mandate, the only services to remain open at this time are those for critical pandemic response and essential services for residents such as water, waste water, and curbside waste collection. The safety of all of our community members, including our staff and residents, remains the top priority.
Due to the limited space and potential hazards such as increased physical contact, the municipality will not be re-opening landfill locations at this time. We are doing everything possible to assist residents regarding waste management, such as increasing curbside garbage limits and adding additional collection days. We ask for your cooperation and patience as we continue to monitor and manage operations under a state of emergency.
Should you have any questions, please reach out to our Waste Management Division by emailing recycling@kawarthalakes.ca<mailto:recycling@kawarthalakes.ca>
Illegal dumping and how you can help
Kawartha Lakes is known for it’s natural beauty – help us keep it that way. Disposing of your waste in unconventional ways such as dumping on private or public property, in community waste bins or in roadside ditches is prohibited. It not only costs the environment by harming our landscapes, but could also cost you up to $5000 in legal fines as well as additional fees associated with clean up.
Help us keep Kawartha Lakes clean. If you witness dumping of any sort onto municipal property, please forward information such as a license plate number, the location of the incident and a description of the individual if possible to our Municipal Law Enforcement office.
Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing
705-324-9411 extension 1212
bylawcomplaints@kawarthalakes.ca<mailto:bylawcomplaints@kawarthalakes.ca>
www.kawarthalakes.ca<http://www.kawarthalakes.ca>
