A Winnipeg family has been coping with mounting piles of garbage, including left-over turkey and stinky diapers, because their garbage bin was stolen and efforts to replace it have only led to more frustration dealing with city hall.

"I think it's just too much for the system and they can't handle it," Liz Pimentel told CBC News about her attempts to get a replacement bin since their new one was stolen on Monday.

"If you have a toddler like me ... it's going to be a lot of garbage," Pimentel added. She said they were willing to buy a replacement bin.

But that idea was rejected, she said, by bureaucrats who informed her the city is able to track bins and would find the one taken from her place.

However, Pimentel says she never heard back from the city, and — when she checked with the city's service line on Friday — she learned nothing had been done about the lost bin.

"I never heard from the city so I phoned again and the lady said they never even looked at my case," Pimentel said.

"It sucks," she added. "I should take my garbage to main street and dump it at city hall."

CBC News contacted city officials and learned that Pimentel was likely given inaccurate information about the ability of the city to track a lost or stolen bin.

The bins have bar-code identifiers on them, which only provide information about a bin — if it is found.

People who lose a bin can get another one, from the city, for $60 — a fee that will be refunded if the lost or stolen bin is recovered.

An official added the Pimentel family will have a replacement bin by Saturday and promised that her accumulating trash will be taken away.

The official said there was a delay in processing her request because the city's 311 service line was very busy handling calls about the new garbage system.

With files from CBC's Gosia Sawicka