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.
Holiday cleanup
No one looks forward to post-holiday cleanup, but these tips can make it easier and help reduce waste.
- Sort and reorganize gift wrapping: After opening gifts, gather crumpled wrapping in a recycling bin or cardboard box to sort through. For recycling, remember that the key word is paper-based wrap. Use the ‘tear test’—if it tears like paper, it’s recyclable. If not, it is likely a cellophane type of product that should be disposed of as garbage.
- Visit a City Eco Centre after the holidays: Collect all your holiday foam packaging, broken toys, electronics, dead batteries and Christmas decorations and make one convenient trip to a City Eco Centre.
- Compost your real tree: Remove all lights, ornaments, tinsel, string and tree stand, cut your tree and put in your green cart. Or take to a Christmas tree drop-off location. Learn more.
- Use Garbage tags if needed: Your holiday cleanup may have created extra trash. Remember extra garbage bags beside the black cart require tags.
Not sure what goes where? Use the What Goes Where search tool to find out where to recycle, compost, or dispose of your everyday items, and how to properly prepare them.
Calgary garbage day tools
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.
Customer self-service
Request cart for a new home
Report a missing or damaged cart
For more details, see Replacing Your Cart.
What can go in your Black Cart
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See which items can go in your black cart.
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See which items cannot go in your black cart.
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Find out how to dispose of other items.
How to use your Black Cart
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See how to prepare your garbage.
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See how to place your cart on pickup day.
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 | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Black Cart Fee ($ per 30 days) | $7.13 |
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.
Black cart full?
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.
Other disposal options
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Take your residential waste to one of the City Eco Centres to recycle, reuse or dispose of oversized or large quantities of waste.
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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.