Every year, The City of Calgary partners with community associations and their volunteers to host Community Cleanup events to allow for citizens to dispose of unwanted household items and property waste that may not fit into black carts. Community Cleanups occur on Saturdays and Sundays until September, and is free of charge to all Calgarians. You do not have to live in the host community to attend a specific cleanup.
The City supplies three packer trucks with crews, funds for advertising and promotion, face coverings, sanitizer, gloves, and garbage bags for the group of community volunteers.
Annually, the Community Cleanup events result in the removal of over one million kilograms of waste and organic material. In 2021, the program collected a total of 1,091,058 kg of garbage and organics.
Accepted items include (but are not limited to) furniture (desks, chairs, sofas, old mattresses, etc.), toilets, and recalled or broken recreational products.
Garbage trucks will not accept the following items:
- Car batteries
- Glass (e.g. window panes, glass table tops)
- Household appliances with Freon (e.g. refrigerators, freezers)
- Microwaves
- Liquids (e.g. cooking oils)
- Large metal items (e.g. lawnmowers, barbeques)
- Railway ties
- Sod or dirt
- Household hazardous waste including
- Propane tanks
- Paint
- Automobile, cleaning, healthcare, and gardening chemicals
Household hazardous waste materials can be brought directly to a household hazardous waste drop-off location.
Some cleanups may accept additional items for recycling. They may also organize a "free store" where you can drop off and/or select items for donations - free of charge. Check your community association website for details. These items include:
- Baby care seats
- Cell phones and cell phone batteries
- Paper shredding
- Home appliances (free store item)
- Home electronics
- Large pieces of furniture
- Scrap metal (e.g. barbeques, lawnmowers, and filing cabinets)
Not sure what to do with an item?
Visit calgary.ca/whatgoeswhere to find the right recycling and disposal options for your unwanted items.
|
