Green Cart Food and Yard Waste program
We provide food and yard waste collection to single family homes.
Green carts are picked up weekly from April to October and every two weeks from November to March.
Please set your cart out on your collection day by 7 a.m.
Fill your green cart first, then use paper yard waste bags and roll tops closed. Place bags 0.5m (2 ft) to the side of the cart for pickup.
If some of your extra bags are not picked up, store them on your property until the next green cart collection.
Prevent Food Scraps from Freezing to your green cart
Wet materials can tend to stick to the cart making it difficult to come out during pickup. In the winter, this can also lead to material freezing inside the cart. Follow these tips to prevent material from sticking inside the cart:
- Crumple up flyer sheets into balls and put them in the bottom of your green cart before putting in any food or yard waste. You can also use newspaper, paper bags, or soiled pizza boxes.
- Use the end of a broomstick to stir and loosen up the material in the bottom of the cart before pickup day.
- If the material is frozen inside, wait for warmer temperatures to thaw the material out. Place your cart in sunlight if possible and use a stick to loosen up the stuck items.
Find your pickup schedule
Print a calendar
- Type your address in the search box
- Select Get a calendar
- You can print a calendar; or
- Add an online calendar
Sign up for free reminders
- Type your address in search box
- Select Get a reminder
- Chose type of notice
- Add your contact details
Download the Calgary Garbage Day app
Never miss a collection day by downloading the Calgary Garbage Day app onto your mobile device.
What can go in your Green cart
Using your Green cart
Customer self-service
Request cart for a new home
Report a missing or damaged cart
For more details, see Replacing Your Cart.
About Green Cart Program
Who receives a cart?
We provide green carts to single family homes up to four units, as long as they are not part of an apartment or condominium.
Can I get a replacement kitchen pail?
The City does not provide replacement pails. You can purchase kitchen pails at any big box or hardware retailer. You can also reuse any container with a lid that seals, such as an ice cream pail.
| Monthly rate | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Green cart fee ($ per 30 days) | $9.41 |
Your monthly cart program fees are not a "per-collection" fee but cover all the components of the residential cart programs, including providing carts to Calgarians, pickup from your home, composting of material as well as education and program support.
The property tax subsidy has been removed from the Green Cart fee. To learn more, visit Residential Waste Rates.
How composting works
The Calgary Composting Facility is the largest of its kind in Canada. The facility produces high quality compost collected from the green cart program and the biosolids program.
Take an online tour of the facility and learn how composting works.
Other disposal options
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Take your residential waste to one of three landfill sites.
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Find a community recycling bin location near you.
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Recycle your old and unused electronics for free.
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Dispose of household hazardous waste at our drop-off locations.