Blue cart recycling

The City of Calgary provides Blue Cart recycling to single family residential homes.

Blue carts are collected weekly on the same day as green carts. Set your cart out by 7:00 a.m.

Bundle plastic bags together in a single bag and tie closed. For the rest of your recyclables, put them loose in your bin.

Extra bags are not accepted – all items must be in the cart. Save extra items for next week or take to a community recycling depot.

Not sure where to put an item? Check out What Goes Where.

Winter cart tips

Clear snow off your carts and keep lids closed. Snow in your blue cart ruins quality recyclables and makes them difficult to sort at the facility, meaning they can’t be turned into new products. Store your carts in a sheltered spot if possible, and move out on collection day so they don’t freeze to the ground. Move carts back by 7 p.m. on collection day.

What can go in your Blue Cart

YES items

See which items can go in your blue cart.

NO items

See which items cannot go in your blue cart.

What Goes Where

Find out how to dispose of other items.

Find your pickup day

For holiday changes, see our holiday schedule.

/* list of iFrame Sources */

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

Using your Blue Cart

Using your blue cart

See how to prepare your recyclables..

Cart placement tips

See how to place your cart on pickup day.

Customer self-service

Report a missed collection

Black Cart - Missed Collection

Blue Cart - Missed Collection

Green Cart - 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 Blue Cart Program

Who receives a cart?

We provide blue carts to single family homes up to four units, as long as they are not part of an apartment or condominium.

Blue Cart fee
Monthly Rate	2020/2021
Blue Cart Fee ($ per 30 days)	$8.80

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, sorting and processing of material as well as education and program support.

To learn more, visit Residential Waste Rates.

How recycling works

Through our Blue Cart program and community recycling depots, we've recycled more than 700 million kilograms over the last 11 years.

When your items are picked up from your blue cart, they go to a recycling sorting facility. People and machines sort all the mixed recyclables into different types of materials, bale them and ship them to markets where they will be made into new products.

In 2017, some items were impacted by the changes in the Chinese recycling sector and put into storage. In 2018, new manufacturers were found in other markets to accept recyclables as well as to clear out the backlog of stored items from 2017.