Surrey’s Pop Up Junk Drop events shift to Sunday this year, starting in April

The dates have been set for Surrey’s series of Pop Up Junk Drop events in 2019, and all four will be held on a Sunday, not Saturday as in previous years.

The popular events allow Surrey residents, for no fee, to drop off unwanted stuff that can’t be put out for regular waste collection.

Launched as a pilot project in 2016, the events are organized to help curb illegal dumping, which has cost the City of Surrey more than $8.5 million over the past decade.

This year, the first Pop Up Junk Drop will be held Sunday, April 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with others planned for May 26, July 7 and Aug. 11. All are held at the Surrey Operations Centre lot, 6651 148th St., in Newton.

Items in decent condition – used clothing, household goods, tools, sports gear and the like – can be left for donation with Salvation Army and Diabetes Canada reps in attendance.

To gain entry, junk-droppers must present valid, government-issued identification to prove they live in Surrey.

The list of accepted items includes furniture, mattresses, electronics, small and large appliances, household renovation waste such as sinks and toilets, styrofoam, plastic toys, lighting products and more.

Items not accepted include commercial waste, hazardous construction junk (no asbestos-containing materials), dirt, rocks, roofing materials, drywall, paints, gasoline, animal waste, lead-acid batteries, large tree stumps and hot tubs, among other stuff.

Check the city’s website (surrey.ca) for the list of accepted and unaccepted items, or call the city’s waste-collection hotline, 604-590-7289.

Vehicle requirements include a limit of one trip per household for one-ton trucks, and no commercial vehicles.

“Speed up the process by pre-sorting your items,” says a post on the city’s website. “The drop-off areas in sequence will be as follows: recycling, renovation/furniture and donations/reusable.”

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