The city says Calgarians are embracing the Green Cart program and that crews have already started composting over 2 million kilograms of food and yard waste at its new facility in the southeast.

The Green Cart program was rolled out to southwest communities in July and will start in the city’s northwest next week.

“We’re a little over half way done so we’re probably getting close to 180,000 carts out so the northwest is almost complete. By Saturday or Sunday, all the northwest residents will have their cart and the southwest already has their carts and has started service. The northwest, their service actually starts next week so coming up very soon for them,” said Philippa Wagner from the City of Calgary. “When we’re finished we will have delivered about 320,000 carts across the city.”

There will be a change to the collection schedule of regular garbage so officials are advising residents to familiarize themselves with the new pickup times.

“The main thing for black cart is that it moves to a separate day from your blue and green cart collection and it’s every other week so it is very important to know exactly which weeks you’ll be putting your black cart out on. Your blue and green carts are collected weekly on the same day but that might not even be the same day that you’re used to now so it’s very important that residents take a look at that calendar or go to our website,” said Wagner.

Beginning the week of August 14:

  • Green and blue carts will be picked up every week on the same day
  • Black carts will be picked once every two weeks on different day than the green and blue carts

The Green Carts are intended for all food and yard waste and come with a starter kit that includes a cart, kitchen pail, compostable bags and an instruction guide.

“It’s all food and all yard waste. So for in the kitchen you’re looking at the food waste, so everything from the things that you traditionally think about composting so your banana peels, your broccoli and fruit but you can also put in, if you’ve got some mouldy cheese or some prepared food that got some meat and bones and fat in it, all of that can go,” said Wagner.

Branches can also go in the cart but there are some restrictions.

“If your cart’s full, if you’ve done a lot of pruning they can be bundled with some natural fibre string and placed beside the cart for collection,” said Wagner.

The Green Cart can also handle pet waste but it must be in a compostable bag.

“Really look for those logos that certify that the bag is compostable. If you’re not able to put it into a compostable bag, if you’re maybe using up your supply of biodegradable ones or some plastic ones, you can continue to put that pet waste in your black cart for collection but if you choose to put it in your green cart, in compostable bags yep,” Wagner added.

The city also has an app to help people keep track of the collection schedule as well as reminders about seasonal programs and holidays.

For more information on the Green Cart program, click HERE.