District initiatives “boat to bin” garbage collection

Whether you live in downtown Bracebridge or a cottage in the middle of Lake Muskoka, you now have access to municipal garbage collection.

The District instituted “boat to bin” service late last month and “Lakeside Waste Collection Events” are set to take place every Sunday this summer. The program is intended for island and water-access properties in the Township of Muskoka Lakes.

The move comes after the District announced that, at the direction of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), all of Muskoka’s 80+ unlicensed bin sites will be removed by 2023.

During these new Lakeside Waste Collection Events, collection trucks will be present each week at a dedicated location for a scheduled period. The events will be supervised and District staff will be on-site to monitor disposal activity. Events will be accessible via boat.

The District says the collection truck is equipped to accept residential household bagged garbage and recycling only.

Up to three standard-sized bags of household bagged garbage are permitted, as long as they’re bagged or tied securely. Recycling needs to be in clear/transparent bags or loose.

This program is not intended for residents who already receive curbside collection, and the District is reminding residents that they can’t accept large or bulky items. Those need to be taken to a District Waste Facility during normal operating hours.

According to the District, they’ve been working closely with their consulting team and the MECP for approved waste collection service for water-access and island residents. They said the overwhelming response from the public was that the District needed a “made-in-Muskoka”, convenient garbage disposal alternative from boat-to-bin.

You can get more information and a downloaded version of the schedule here.

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