Organics in Greater Vancouver are not “just another garbage stream.” Food scraps, yard trimmings, clean wood, and mixed green waste often follow different rules than a general DIY roll-off load. Trash King rents DIY bins across Metro Vancouver—you load; we deliver and haul. We are not a labour junk crew. Use this page to decide what is generally suitable for a planned organics-minded load, what to confirm when you call, and what not to put in the bin until status is clear. Review sizes on trash bins, sibling guidance on wood and dirt, plus residential or commercial hubs. Call 604-433-5865 or email quotes@trashking.ca. Ask about current delivery availability when you call.
Why organics need a bin decision (not a recycle slogan)
Metro Vancouver treats many organic materials as regulated streams. Food scraps, for example, are not interchangeable with mixed household garbage. Yard waste and clean wood may be plannable as green or wood-focused loads—but only when contamination stays low and you describe the mix honestly before booking. “We recycle organics” on the internet is not the same as “this exact pile belongs in this exact DIY bin today.”
Generally suitable for an organics-minded load
Subject to confirmation for your address and bin type, these are often discussed as green-waste / organics candidates rather than mixed household garbage:
- Yard trimmings: grass clippings, leaves, weeds, brush, and small limbs (no treated landscape timber)
- Clean, untreated wood offcuts and branches when staged as a clean wood/green stream (see wood)
- Sod and soil piles when planned as a dirt-heavy or earthworks load—not casually mixed into food organics
- Plant material from landscaping or site clearing kept free of plastics, bags, and hardware
- Seasonal garden cleanups where the pile is mostly vegetative and dry enough to handle safely
“Suitable” means worth planning as a dedicated or mostly clean stream—not a promise that every facility accepts every mix every day.
Confirm or separate when you call
- Food scraps and kitchen organics (including meat, dairy, and food-soiled paper): do not assume they belong in a general DIY debris bin—confirm the proper path for your site
- Mixed organics (food + yard + soiled paper + clean wood in one pile): tell us what is mixed before choosing a bin
- Large stumps, root balls, or dense wet loads that may hit weight limits before the bin looks full
- Commercial kitchen volumes vs residential garden cleanups—schedule and stream rules can differ
- Invasive plants or specialty landscape materials your municipality handles differently
- Any material from older buildings that might include insulation, adhesives, or suspect finishes—if asbestos status is unclear, do not load until confirmed
Do not put in the bin
- Asbestos or any material that may contain asbestos—do not load until status and disposal requirements are confirmed
- Hazardous liquids, oils, paints, solvents, and chemicals
- Electronics, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and other e-waste (see electronics)
- Treated, painted, or creosote wood when you are booking a clean wood / green-waste path
- Plastic bags, landscape fabric, pots, metal fencing, and other non-organic contaminants stuffed into “green” piles
- Pressure-treated landscape ties and railway ties
- Medical waste, needles, and other biohazards
How to load and avoid contamination
Keep organics as clean as practical. Plastic film, hardware, and mixed garbage can turn a green-waste plan into a contaminated mixed load. Stage food scraps separately from yard piles when you are unsure. Dense wet materials (sod, wet soil, soaked leaves) add weight fast—volume is not weight. Break down long brush so it packs safely below the fill line. Cover open piles if rain will soak the load overnight. DIY loading only: Trash King does not provide a labour crew to rake, chip, or carry materials.
Weight, moisture, and mixed loads
Green waste looks light until it is wet or packed with soil. A half-full bin of wet sod can still be a heavy haul. Tell us whether the load is mostly brush, mostly soil, or mixed with renovation debris so we can match size and expectations. For dirt-dominant jobs, start on the dirt page; for lumber-heavy jobs, use wood; for general cleanouts, see household garbage.
Before you book — quick checklist
- What is the dominant material: yard, food, wood, soil, or mixed?
- Is anything treated, painted, bagged in plastic, or potentially hazardous?
- Approximate volume and whether the material is wet
- Placement notes (driveway, alley, pad) and who will load (DIY only)
How to book
Call 604-433-5865 or email quotes@trashking.ca with: material list, approximate volume, address in Greater Vancouver, and placement notes. Ask about current delivery availability when you call. Compare sizes on trash bins. Soft same-day language only—no guaranteed same-day promise on this page.
Homeowners vs commercial sites
Residential garden cleanups and commercial landscaping or kitchen organics are not the same conversation. Homes often mix yard waste with leftover reno scraps; businesses may have scheduled organics programs already. Tell us which situation you are in. For commercial bin context see commercial services; for driveway residential context see residential services.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put kitchen food scraps in a Trash King DIY bin?
Do not assume yes. Food scraps are a regulated organics stream in Metro Vancouver. Confirm when you call and use the proper municipal or commercial organics path when that is the right answer for your site.
Are yard trimmings the same as household garbage?
No. Yard trimmings are often handled as green waste. Keep plastics and treated wood out, and describe the mix when booking.
Can I mix clean wood with yard waste?
Sometimes that is planned as a related stream—and sometimes it must stay separate. Confirm before you load so contamination does not undo the plan. See wood.
Do you provide labour for yard cleanups?
No. DIY roll-off only: you load; we deliver and haul.
What if I am unsure about older building materials near a garden reno?
If asbestos or other hazardous status is unclear, do not load until confirmed. Call first.