April is a time for spring cleaning and an opportunity to finally get rid of items that are no longer of use to you.

It is also the month that the Town of Strathmore offers two special waste collection services: Trash to Treasure and Heavy Item Garbage (HIG) collection. 

“Heavy Item Garbage Collection offers residents the opportunity to dispose of large residential waste. It is a service provided in conjunction with your curbside waste collection service,” it states on the town's website. 

According to the Town of Strathmore, if you pay the residential garbage charge on your utility bills, the HIG service is available to you. 

Trash to Treasure is meant to encourage citizens to put out any items that are usable prior to HIG collection so others can pick them up and give them a new home. 

According to the town, Trash to Treasure "is a great opportunity to give unwanted items a new life while keeping them out of landfills.”

Trash to Treasure starts on April 11 and runs until April 14. After that, HIG pickup will start on April 15 through April 19. 

Some things to keep in mind for HIG pickup include: 

  • Items must have a HIG sticker. 
  • All items must be placed out for collection by 7 a.m. on Tuesday, the week of HIG collection.  
  • Place items so the HIG sticker is visible from the road. 
  • Do not nestle HIG items between objects such as carts and vehicles. 
  • Do not block streets or sidewalks with HIG items. 
  • Do not place items that are heavier than 70 kg (154 lbs) or longer than 1.24 m (4 feet). 
  • Do not leave more than five items per collection for pickup. 
  • And do not wait until the week of HIG collection to pick up tags. 

If you want to participate in HIG, it is important to note that stickers will not be handed out the week of HIG pickup, so you must be prepared beforehand. 

You can pick up HIG tags at the Municipal Building (1 Parklane Drive), and there is no fee associated with the tags. 

Some items that qualify for HIG pickup include: 

  • Sofas and couches 
  • Dressers 
  • Tables and chairs 
  • BBQ’s 
  • Washers and dryers 
  • Refrigerators and freezers (with doors removed and freon free) 
  • Stoves 
  • Mattresses and box springs 
  • Dishwashers 
  • Bed frames 
  • Two small bundles of lumber that are 4 feet in length and secured. 

Items that do not qualify for HIG pickup include: 

  • Propane tanks 
  • Glass windows or mirrors 
  • Electronics 
  • Tree stumps, rocks, and concrete 
  • Hot water heater and furnace 
  • Toilets, bathtubs, and vanities 
  • Vehicles, tires, and car parts in general 
  • Air conditioners and dehumidifiers 
  • Bed frames 
  • Recyclable, organic, and residential waste items 
  • Residential hazardous waste, including paints, oils, and cleaning supplies 
  • Building, construction, and demolition waste 

For more information about Trash to Treasure and HIG, head over to the Town of Strathmore website.

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