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.
What to do with Styrofoam
All polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) goes in your black cart as garbage, even if marked with the recycling symbol. This includes foam shipping materials, foam coffee cups, foam take-out food containers and meat trays. When Styrofoam is compacted inside the collection truck, it breaks into small pieces that are too small and light to be sorted by the machines during the recycling process. Put all foam materials into a garbage bag before placing in your black cart to prevent them from blowing away during collection.
Find your pickup day
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 additional carts
Please call 311 to review the options available to you.
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.
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.
