Black Cart garbage collection
The City of Calgary provides black cart garbage collection to single family homes. Black carts are collected every two weeks.
Set your cart out by 7 a.m. on your collection day.
Our bins can hold up to 60 kg of material or four standard garbage bags.
If your cart is full, you need to buy tags to put on extra garbage bags for pickup. Place tagged garbage bags 0.5m (2 ft) to the side of the cart.
For more tips, see Using Your Black Cart.
Safely dispose of household batteries
Batteries contain lead, cadmium and mercury that can be harmful. Don’t put any kind of battery in any of your carts. Household batteries include non-rechargeable alkaline batteries such as AA and AAA, and rechargeable batteries found in cellphones and laptops. Safety dispose of batteries by taking to a participating retailer for free, including London Drugs, Staples, Home Depot, Rona, Ikea and Best Buy. For more information visit calgary.ca/battery.
Find your pickup day
For holiday changes, see our holiday 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
What can go in your Black Cart
Using your Black Cart
Customer self-service
Report a missed collection
Request cart for a new home
Report a missing or damaged cart
Please call 311 to report a broken or missing cart.
For more details, see Replacing Your Cart.
About Black Cart Program
Who receives a cart?
We provide black carts to single family homes up to four units, as long as they are not part of an apartment or condominium.
| Monthly Rate | 2020/2021 |
|---|---|
|
Black Cart Fee ($ per 30 days) |
$6.85 |
|
|
|
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, disposing of material as well as education and program support.
Black cart service is moving from property tax support to a user fee on your bill. To learn more, visit Residential Waste Rates.
Starting October 1, 2021, if your black cart is full and you have extra bags of garbage that will not fit, you will need to buy tags to put on extra garbage bags for pickup.
If you are aware of illegal dumping, please contact 311 to report the issue.
How landfills work
When your black cart garbage is picked up, it is taken to one of three City of Calgary landfills for disposal.
