Requesting additional carts
With the Blue, Green, Black Carts and Tag-a-Bag programs now well established, The City has continued to explore opportunities to increase accessibility and equity within our programs. The Additional Cart program recognizes that not all households have the same waste management needs and may require additional carts to manage the amount of recycling, food and yard waste or garbage.
Who is eligible for additional carts?
Any residential dwelling unit that already has and pays for the base level residential cart service of one blue cart, one black cart and one green cart is eligible for the Additional Cart program.
Review the scenarios below to see which may apply to you.
Tags for extra garbage bags
- If your black cart is full and you have extra bags of garbage that will not fit, you will need to buy tags for $3 each to put on extra garbage bags for pickup.
- The garbage tag program is flexible to accommodate changing household needs throughout the year. Depending on your situation, it might be more cost effective to buy tags for extra garbage bags, rather than pay for an extra black cart.
Additional carts for single-family home
- A single-family home may request one additional blue cart and/or one additional green cart and/or one additional black cart. This helps ensure you have the capacity in your carts to sort your household waste properly.
- Additional carts are charged at the same rate as the first carts and fees are applied as a multiplier based on the number of carts. All charges appear on your monthly ENMAX bill. The most up to date cart fees are listed on residential waste rates.
- There is a six-month commitment required for additional carts for single-family homes.
Additional carts for secondary suites
- All secondary suites are entitled to their own set of blue, black and green carts.
- If a secondary suite requests their own set of carts, they are required to have and pay for the full set of blue, black and green carts. Secondary suites are considered a separate "dwelling" or "unit" under the Waste Bylaw, and each eligible dwelling in Calgary is required to pay for and participate in the residential cart program.
Additional carts for home-based business
- Home-based businesses such as children’s day homes are eligible for residential cart service. Some home-based businesses require additional cart service or more frequent collection to accommodate the extra waste generated from business operations.
- Home-based businesses will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine the most appropriate program for your waste management needs. This could include additional carts, commercial waste collection service or buying tags for extra garbage bags.
Additional carts for home health care
- If your household is generating extra waste due to home health care materials, then additional carts may be provided with the costs waived.
- This includes incontinence products and soiled dressings; disposable products, including disposable pads, gloves, masks, towels and sheets; casts; catheters; empty and rinsed colostomy bags; empty and rinsed dialysis filters; empty and rinsed gastric and nasal tubes; intravenous bags and tubing; and sponges.
- After speaking with Waste & Recycling Services staff, you will receive an application form to fill out and verify the medical need for a home health care cart.
How to request additional carts
If you require additional carts to manage the amount of recycling, food and yard waste or garbage at your household please call 311 to review the options available to you. Waste & Recycling Services staff will work with you to best determine your additional cart needs.