Close-up image of empty plastic bottles and containers in soft focus, with bold overlaid text that reads “Sorting Your Waste” at the top and “WHAT GOES WHERE” in large blue, black, and green letters across the center of the image.

Sorting Your Waste: What Goes Where? 

Sort your waste materials before placing them curbside to make sure they are collected and processed correctly. 

Garbage (Clear Bags) 

For non-recyclable, non-compostable waste only. 

Do not include: 

  • Food or food scraps (bread, meat, coffee grounds, eggshells)  
  • Recyclable materials (paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, cans)  
  • Hazardous items like batteries  

Recycling (Blue Bags) 

For clean, accepted recyclable materials. 

Do not include: 

  • Food or food-soiled items  
  • Personal care items  
  • Pet waste  
  • Household garbage like soiled paper towels, coffee pods, broken glass 

Organics (Clear Green-Tinted Bags) 

For food scraps and compostable materials. 

Do not include: 

  • Recyclables like plastics, packaging or containers  
  • Personal care items  
  • Pet waste  
  • Household garbage like coffee pods  

Need help sorting? 

If you are unsure where an item belongs: 

For information about waste sorting compliance and rejected materials: 

Kweku Attafuah-Wadee  
Manager of Solid Waste Collections  
(902) 294-0269 
Kweku.Attafuah-Wadee@VictoriaCounty.ca 

For information about waste sorting rules and resources: 

Morgan MacInnis  
Solid Waste Educator 
Phone: 902-295-0591 
morgan.macinnis@victoriacounty.ca 

Related Links 

Close-up outdoor scene of a compost pile. In the foreground, a pair of bare hands holds a mound of dark, crumbly soil. Around the pile are visible food scraps including cracked brown eggshells, vegetable peels, and bits of organic waste scattered on the ground. Overlaid on the upper center of the image is a green speech-bubble-shaped banner with white text that reads, “Compost 101: From Scraps to Gold.” At the bottom left, a blue rectangle contains black text that reads, “FREE WEBINAR: MAY 29.” The background shows earthy soil and decomposing organic material, emphasizing the composting process.

Composting 101: From Scraps to Gold 

Ever wondered what happens to your food scraps after they leave your kitchen? Join our Solid Waste Educator for a fun and informative virtual webinar all about composting and how small changes at home can make a big difference! 

Date: May 29
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Format: 30-minute virtual presentation + time for questions afterwards

During this webinar, we’ll cover:
– What composting is and why it’s so important
– How curbside organics collection works in Victoria County
– Easy ways to compost at home, including backyard composting and vermicomposting

✨Everyone who pre-registers will be entered into a draw for a chance to WIN a composter — with TWO composters up for grabs!

Whether you’re brand new to composting or looking to improve your current setup, this session is a great place to start.

Pre-register here: https://victoriacounty.com/form-library/webinar-event-registration-form/

Turn your scraps into gold and join the composting conversation! 

Large outdoor compost pile at the Baddeck Waste Management Facility, with food scraps and organic material in the foreground, a small utility building and truck in the background, and trees under a blue sky. White text at the top reads, “It’s Compost Awareness Week,” and black text at the bottom reads, “Compost pile at the Baddeck Waste Management Facility.”

Victoria County Celebrates Compost Awareness Week

This Compost Awareness Week, we’re encouraging all residents to take a closer look at what goes into their green bags and what should stay out of Nova Scotia’s landfills.

We’ve noticed a drop in the amount of organics being collected curbside, and this is a great opportunity to remind everyone just how important composting is for our community here in Victoria County.

Did you know?

Each household is allocated 4 translucent green bags of organics per week through our curbside collection program. These bags help keep food scraps and compostable materials out of landfills where they don’t belong.

Helpful tip: We recommend using regular green translucent bags instead of “compostable” bags, as they often rip on route and don’t break down well in our composting system.

Why it matters

Organic waste is the largest material stream in Nova Scotia landfills. When food waste and other organics end up there instead of being composted, it creates serious issues:

  • When organic waste breaks down without oxygen in a landfill, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change
  • It takes up valuable landfill space
  • It wastes nutrients that could otherwise be returned to the soil through composting

The good news

When we compost properly, we turn food scraps and organics into useful, nutrient-rich material that supports healthier soil and a more sustainable future for Victoria County.

Small actions make a big difference. By taking advantage of our curbside organics collection each week, you’re helping reduce emissions, extend the life of our landfill and protect the environment we all share.

Let’s work together this Compost Awareness Week to keep organics out of the landfill and returned back to the earth where they belong.

Related Links

Portrait-style image of a person centered in front of illustrated panels showing people caring for nature, recycling, and holding the Earth, with green and blue outdoor scenes in the background. A teal banner at the bottom contains the text, “Meet your Solid Waste Educator!”

Meet Your Solid Waste Educator 

Victoria County now has a dedicated Solid Waste Educator to help residents, schools, businesses, and community groups better understand waste, improve recycling and composting, and take action to reduce what we send to the landfill. 

Whether you’re a teacher, business owner, volunteer, or resident with a question, this service is here to support you. 

What’s Available 

For Schools  

Bring waste education to life with interactive, curriculum-connected learning: 

  • Classroom presentations tailored by grade level  
  • Topics include recycling, composting, climate change, food waste, textile waste and ocean plastics  
  • Hands-on waste audits that can connect to math and data learning  
  • Tours of local waste management sites to see how waste is sorted and transported  

For Community Groups 

Planning a clean-up or looking to reduce waste in your community? 

  • Presentations on proper sorting, recycling and composting  
  • Support for organizing community clean-ups  
  • Help accessing supplies like bags and gloves  
  • Guidance on how to sort and dispose of collected waste  

For Businesses  

Simple changes can make a big difference: 

  • Learn about recent recycling changes in Nova Scotia  
  • Improve sorting practices  
  • Reduce disposal costs through better waste diversion  
  • Book a waste audit to identify areas for improvement  

How can a waste audit help you?  

Not sure how you’re doing? A waste audit can help: 

  • Identify what’s going in the garbage that shouldn’t be  
  • Highlight opportunities to improve recycling and composting  
  • Provide clear, practical recommendations  

Need Help or Have Questions? 

If you’re unsure about sorting rules, changes to recycling or how to reduce waste, you can reach out anytime. 

Book a presentation, tour, audit or clean-up support today. 

Contact: 

Morgan MacInnis
Solid Waste Education
Email: morgan.macinnis@victoriacounty.ca  
Phone: (902)-295-0591 

Related Links 

Graphic showing a clear garbage bag placed at a curbside with a yellow “Rejected” tag attached, containing mixed waste. Text reads “Solid Waste Collection” and “Sorting Rules Are Being Enforced,” set against a blurred residential street and trees in the background.

Curbside Waste Collection: Sorting Rules Are Being Enforced 

Victoria County is reminding residents and businesses that curbside waste must be properly sorted in accordance with the Solid Waste Collection and Disposal By-law. 

Waste collection crews have been directed to reject bags that do not meet sorting requirements. 

A bag will be rejected if it contains items that do not belong in that waste stream. 

What this means 

  • Garbage (clear bags), recycling (blue bags), and organics (clear green-tinted bags) must contain only accepted materials  
  • Bags containing non-accepted items will be left behind  

Examples include: 

  • Garbage bags containing food scraps or recyclables  
  • Recycling bags containing food, pet waste or household garbage  
  • Organics bags containing plastics or non-compostable materials  

Use the waste sorting guide 

When in doubt, check first. Avoid rejection by reviewing accepted materials before placing items curbside.  

The Recycle Cape Breton app is also available and includes a Waste Wizard tool to help determine proper disposal. Download the app on Google Play or the App Store. 

For information about waste sorting compliance and rejected materials: 

Kweku Attafuah-Wadee  
Manager of Solid Waste Collections  
(902) 294-0269 
Kweku.Attafuah-Wadee@VictoriaCounty.ca 

For information about waste sorting rules and resources: 

Morgan MacInnis  
Solid Waste Educator 
Phone: 902-295-0591 
morgan.macinnis@victoriacounty.ca 

Related Links 

Free Community Shredding Events

Victoria County is hosting two free document shredding events for residents this May.

This is a safe and convenient way to dispose of confidential documents, reducing the risk of identity theft and ensuring paper materials are properly recycled.

Shredding services will be provided by Scotia Security Shredding, a locally operated company offering secure document destruction across Atlantic Canada.

How it works

  • A mobile, on-site shredding truck will be onsite
  • Documents are destroyed immediately in front of you
  • All materials are securely handled and recycled

What to bring

Residents can bring:

  • Old tax returns
  • Bills and receipts
  • Personal or sensitive documents

Event Details

May 9 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Cabot Education Centre (parking lot)
32039 Cabot Trail, Neil’s Harbour, Nova Scotia

May 23 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Baddeck Academy (parking lot)
320 Shore Rd., Baddeck, Nova Scotia, B0E 1B0

Why attend

  • Protect yourself from identity theft
  • Safely dispose of sensitive documents
  • Ensure paper is recycled properly
  • Take advantage of a free, convenient community service

For more information, please contact:

Morgan MacInnis 
Solid Waste Educator
Phone: 902-295-0591
recycle@victoriacounty.ca

Promotional graphic for Victoria County heavy garbage collection featuring a space-themed black background with stars. The Victoria County logo appears at the top with the tagline “Naturally Connected.” Large bold text reads “Heavy Garbage 2026 – May the 4th be with you,” styled like a Star Wars title, followed by “Clear out your space!” A green banner at the bottom states, “Heavy garbage collection begins on May 4th, 2026.”

Heavy Garbage Collection 2026 starts on May the Fourth Be With You

This year Heavy Garbage Day is starting on the galactically themed day May The Fourth Be With You.

Heavy garbage collection will begin on Monday, May 4, 2026 at 6 a.m. Crews will travel across the municipality from that date onward until all areas have been completed.

Important timing details:

  • Set your items out by 6:00 a.m. on May 4, 2026.
  • Each area is visited only once.
  • If your items are not out on time or are placed out after your area has been collected, they will not be picked up.

What to expect:
Heavy garbage collection will be carried out by a third-party contractor. Collection routes and timing may vary from previous years, so it’s especially important to have your items ready on the start date.

Before placing your items at the curb, please review the guidelines below to ensure your materials are accepted for collection.

Heavy Garbage Notice 2026Download
Promotional graphic for Victoria County’s Earth Day 2026 featuring a lush green forest and river valley under a blue sky. Large text reads “Earth Day 2026 – Our Power, Our Planet,” with a globe icon in the word “Our,” and a banner stating “Local solutions to combat climate change.”

Our Power, Our Planet: Local Solutions to Combat Climate Change  

The theme for Earth Day 2026 is Our Power, Our Planet and focuses on individual actions and local solutions to combat climate change. 

Victoria County’s municipal services give easy ways to reduce waste and protect our environment this Earth Day and everyday. Here are a few simple actions you can take.  

Support our ReUse Centre! 

Before sending something to the landfill, ask yourself, could someone else use this? 

Give your items a second life and a chance to be new to someone else. By donating to the ReUse Centre, you’re not only keeping items out of the landfill, you’re also supporting local non-profits in our community. 
 
Learn more at: ReUse Centre – Victoria County 

Don’t throw out your textiles 

Textiles make up about 9% of landfill waste! 
 
Before tossing, consider donating, thrifting or repairing your clothing when you can. 
If it can’t be worn, fixed or reused you can bring it to our Enviro-Depots in Baddeck and New Haven for recycling. Wear it out! Don’t throw it out. 

Compost your food waste 

Organics are the #1 material found in Nova Scotia landfills. 

When food ends up in the garbage, it produces methane, a harmful greenhouse gas, and wastes valuable resources like water, energy and time. Instead, use our curbside organics collection to compost food scraps and keep them out of the landfill. 

If it can’t be donated or eaten, compost it! 

Every small change adds up. By using the services available right here in Victoria County, we can work together to reduce waste and protect our environment! 

Happy Earth Day!  

Promotional graphic titled “Equipment Swap – Share the Sport.” A pile of donated sports gear—such as paddles, bicycles, balls, helmets, skates, and bags—sits in the center, surrounded by text reading “Donate your used gear,” “Pick up what you need,” “Help others get in the game,” and “Coming to 8 locations.” The Victoria County logo appears at the bottom.

Share the Sport: Give Your Gear New Life 

Our Share the Sport initiative brings 8 events to communities across the County making it easier to donate and access quality, reusable sports equipment. Whether you’re clearing out gently used sporting gear or looking for something new to you, Share the Sport helps reduce waste while supporting participation in sport. 

Residents can participate by donating gently used and clean sporting gear at the advanced drop off or at one of the community events. You do not need to donate or swap to take items you need. Our goal is to pair residents with good quality sports gear and avoid placing useful items in the trash.  

Donate Early – April 18 

Residents are encouraged to take advantage of the advance drop-off day to help make the events run smoothly. 
Location: ReUse Centre, Baddeck Waste Management Facility 
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2026 
Time: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

Donations will also be accepted during each event, but early drop-off is encouraged. 

Event Schedule 

All events run from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. 

  • Bay St. Lawrence Community Centre – April 21  
  • North Highlands Nordic (Cape North) – April 22  
  • St. Andrews Parish Hall (New Haven) – April 23  
  • Smokey Recreation Society (Ingonish) – April 24  
  • Big Bras d’Or Community Hall – May 4  
  • Indian Brook Community Hall – May 5  
  • BOLD Centre (Baddeck) – May 6  
  • St. Columba Parish Hall (Iona) – May 8  

What You Can Donate 

Clean, gently used sports equipment in good condition, including: 

  • Winter sports equipment (skiing, hockey, snowboarding, skating)  
  • Summer sports equipment (baseball, soccer, golf, etc.)  
  • Racket sports equipment  
  • Adaptive sports equipment  

Items Not Accepted 

For health and safety reasons, the following items will not be accepted: 

  • Helmets  
  • Certain personal protective equipment  
  • Bicycles  
  • Running shoes  
  • Equipment manufactured prior to 2000  

Attend & Win 

Everyone who attends a Share the Sport event will be entered into a draw to win a $200 Sport Chek gift card. 

  • One gift card will be awarded at each event (8 total)  
  • Winners will be contacted after the final event on May 8  

Get Involved 

Donate what you can. Take what you need. Help keep sport accessible in your community. For a full list of accepted equipment, visit https://victoriacounty.com/municipal-departments/recreation/share-the-sport-eligible-equipment-for-donation/. 

All events are free. Donations are encouraged but not required. Everyone is welcome to take what they need.   

Related Links 

A promotional graphic from Victoria County titled “2026 ReUse Centre Operators Announced.” The design features a blue background, the Victoria County logo, and a circular photo of a ReUse Centre building with several people standing outside. Text on the right reads: “Opening Day Saturday April 25, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Donations welcome!”

2026 ReUse Centre Operators Announced

The Municipality of Victoria County is pleased to announce the community organizations selected to operate the ReUse Centre for the 2026 season.

These local charitable and not-for-profit groups will operate the ReUse Centre as a fundraising initiative by selling the items that were donated to the Centre. All proceeds from sales go directly to the organization running the Centre, supporting their programs and services in the community.

The following organizations will be operating the ReUse Centre this season:

Dates Organization  
April 25 & May 2 Bras d’Or Archers Association 
May 9 and May 16 Central Cape Breton ATV Club 
May 23 & May 30  St. Ann’s Bay Community Health Group Society 
June 6 & June 13 Victoria County Hospice Society  
June 20 & June 27  North Highlands Community Museum and Culture Centre 
July 4 & July 11 Knox Presbyterian Hall  
July 18 & July 25  South Haven Community Hall  
August 1 & August 8  Nectar Environment Society Cape Breton  
August 15 & August 22 Baddeck Nordic Club  
August 29 & September 5  St. Michael’s Parish Hall  
September 12 & September 19 Baddeck Area Cat Rescue 
September 26 & October 3 The Hospice Gardeners  
October 10 & October 17 Alderwood Working Council  
October 24 & October 31 Baddeck Library Society  

Shopping at the ReUse Centre

The ReUse Centre is located at the Baddeck Transfer Station and is open to the public on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., April through October.

Residents are encouraged to stop by and shop for a variety of clean, gently used and working items. Inventory changes weekly and every purchase helps support local organizations while keeping reusable materials out of landfill.

Donations

Donations are also welcome throughout the season. Residents can drop off clean, reusable items Monday – Friday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., from April to October.

By donating or shopping at the ReUse Centre, residents can help reduce waste and support community groups across Victoria County.

For more information about the ReUse Centre, including donation guidelines, email recycle@victoriacounty.ca.

Related Links