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.
Holiday entertaining: Tips to reduce food waste
Entertaining over the holidays doesn’t have to be expensive or wasteful with these tips.
Meal planning and grocery shopping
- Check what you have at home and plan your meals to ensure you are buying the right quantity of items.
- Plan portions appropriately. Prepare only what you and your guests will eat.
- Once your planning is done, make a detailed grocery list and buy only what you need.
Plan for leftovers
- Before the holidays, make room in your fridge. Use up any food that needs to be eaten before adding new holiday leftovers.
- Start a broth bag. Save bones and vegetable ends and tops in a resealable bag or container.
- Share and freeze leftovers.
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.
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 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.