We hold the long-term environmental sustainability of Yarmouth high on our list of priorities. To that end, we've partnered with several organizations to ensure that we're doing all that we can to protect and preserve Yarmouth for generations to come. This includes the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve – a UNESCO-designated and internationally recognized region of natural and cultural heritage. The SNBR spans the 5 counties of Annapolis, Digby, Yarmouth, Shelburne and Queens and is one of only 16 biosphere reserves in Canada.
Nova Scotia has become a world leader in waste management practices since adopting the Solid Waste-Resource Management Strategy in 1995, and Yarmouth is no less dedicated to efficient waste management. With the partnership of Waste Check, we've implemented a waste collection system that ensures that we divert as much recyclable and reusable materials away from landfills as possible.
Recyclables
Two blue bag systems – one for paper, one for cans and containers. Yarmouth & Digby Counties recyclables are transported to Scotia Recycling, where the materials are reclaimed and shipped out to markets to be recycled into useful items.
Organics
Collected bi-weekly, using a green cart left at the curb of each municipal unit – paper liners only. Carts come in two sizes – 65 gallons and 35 gallons. Organics are transported to the Compost Plant in Yarmouth where they're processed into compost.
Garbage
Collected bi-weekly, in clear bags (one black/green bag is permitted per garbage collection for each household). We switched to clear bags in 2007 primarily to give waste collection staff a chance to inspect trash bags on the curb or in the sorting plant and reduce the number of useful materials being shipped to a second-generation landfill in the Region of Queens Municipality.
Ensuring the ecological sustainability of Yarmouth is a long-term project for everyone. Please be sure to sort your trash properly and do what you can to reduce your carbon footprint whenever possible. Along with composting, recycling, and disposing of household garbage properly, you can take part in our Adopt-a-Block program. Seafood lovers can also use ThisFish to discover where their seafood came from, learn about the fishermen who harvested it, and ensure that their purchases help the environment.
Taking Action on Climate Change
We're also planning for the possible effect climate change may have on our seaside town. The Climate Change Action Plan was implemented in 2013, which calls for amendments to the town's Land Use By-Law and the pdf Municipal Planning Strategy (4.50 MB) to allow for measures to be taken to protect local infrastructure from storm surges, a rise in sea level, and intense rainfall, based on findings from Dalhousie University and the Atlantic Climate Adaptation Solutions Association (ACASA).
In 2021, the town released a Climate Change Mitigation Action Plan (MAP) to reduce the amount of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) produced by the Town of Yarmouth. The Town of Yarmouth believes that it has a responsibility to address Climate change and to develop solutions to mitigate its impacts. This plan attempts to limit the scope of mitigation actions to activities of the corporate body and not the wider community. The plan also acknowledges that GHG emissions are a borderless concept. Access the pdf Climate Change Mitigation Action Plan (320 KB) .