Keeping Your Garbage and Recycling Bins Accessible

4 min read · Thames Valley Snow, London, Ontario

Garbage and recycling day doesn't pause for winter, but a snow-covered curb and a driveway full of plowed-up piles can make getting bins to the street a genuine chore during the coldest months. A little planning around collection day keeps this from becoming a recurring headache.

Where you store bins during the off-season matters more once winter starts. Keeping bins in a spot that's easy to reach and roll to the curb, rather than tucked in a far corner of the yard that becomes inaccessible under snow, saves real effort on collection mornings throughout the winter.

Timing your bin placement around your snow removal schedule helps too. If you know roughly when your driveway typically gets cleared after a storm, try to get bins to the curb after that clearing happens rather than before, so you're not dragging them through unplowed snow or across an icy surface that hasn't been treated yet.

Watch where snow piles end up relative to your curb placement. Plow trucks pushing snow to the end of a driveway can sometimes bury the exact spot where bins normally sit, so it's worth adjusting placement slightly during heavy snow weeks to avoid burying your own bins in a fresh pile right before collection.

Clear a Path, Not the Whole Yard

You only need a narrow, flat path from where the bins are stored to the curb. Keep it clear and treat it with ice melt on cold mornings so wheels roll easily and you do not slip pulling a full bin.

Put Bins Where Plows and Collectors Can Work

Place bins on your driveway apron or a cleared spot at the curb, not on top of a snowbank or in the street. Leave some space around them so the collection arm or crew can reach them, and keep them out of the path of the street plow so they are not knocked over or buried.

Watch the City Windrow

The ridge of heavy snow the City plow leaves at the end of your driveway can trap bins and block the path to the curb. Thames Valley Snow seasonal plans include clearing the City windrow, along with automatic visits every time 5 cm or more falls from December 1 to March 31.

Help for Older Residents

Hauling bins through snow is a common winter struggle for seniors. Family members can book and pay for a parent's seasonal plan, with invoices and visit updates going to whoever they choose. Walkway and steps clearing starts at $150, and seniors get 5% off seasonal plans.

Where to Store Bins Between Pickups

Keep bins close to the garage or side of the house, away from the driveway edges where snow is pushed. Bins left at the curb or along the driveway can be buried by a windrow or knocked over during clearing.

Clearing a Path on Collection Day

Shovel a small pad at the curb so bins sit on a flat surface, not on top of a snowbank. Place them so the lids open freely and they are not in the roadway, and bring them back in promptly after pickup so they are not in the way of the next storm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the crew move my bins?

Keep bins off the driveway on service days so the full surface can be cleared.

Is the end of the driveway included?

Yes. The City windrow is cleared on seasonal plans.

Want a fixed price for your property? Get a free quote or call or text (548) 888-8702. You can also read about residential snow removal and walkway and steps clearing.

What's included… and what's extra

A Thames Valley Snow seasonal residential plan starts from $650 for a standard driveway. It covers clearing the driveway every time snowfall reaches the trigger depth in your agreement, plus the windrow the city plow leaves at the end of the driveway. Larger driveways are priced on our snow removal prices page.

Popular add-ons, priced per season: walkway and steps $150–175, salting $175, priority service $125, pet-safe salt $120, driveway extension $95 and city sidewalk clearing $90. Add only what your property needs; everything is listed on the quote so there are no surprises. Get your fixed price or call or text (548) 888-8702.