The City of Calgary rolled out details Wednesday of its new curbside recycling program.

Starting in the spring, you won't have to sort your recyclables and they'll be collected from outside your home every week. The City says the new Residential Blue Cart Program makes recycling easier and more convenient.

Dave Griffiths, Waste & Recycling Services Director, says they'll be no more sorting, and no more trips to the recycling depot.

"That's the thing that we think thrills most people, is the reaction we get when we say it can all go in together."

The City will provide the curbside service to 300-thousand homes.

About 145-thousand blue carts have arrived and they're being stored at a landfill site.

People will start receiving their carts in March.

Paula Magdich, Blue Cart Recycling Program Leader, says collection will be phased-in by quadrant - southwest first, then southeast, northwest, and finally northeast.

"The order of the quadrants was chosen based on a number of factors such as the size of the quadrant, the number of homes that will require servicing, and operational requirements."

Everything currently recycled at depots will still be collected under the Residential Blue Cart Program. The only change is that plastics will be added to the list of recyclables.

The program is a first for Calgary. Griffiths says the City has faced criticism for not offering it sooner.

"Markets for plastic were originally limited, and then as we wanted to introduce it, we had space problems at the recycling depots. And the sorting and infrastructure wasn't in Calgary to the size that we needed."

Households receiving the blue carts will be charged $8 a month on their utility bill, which has some Calgarians, upset.

One man, who didn't want his name used, told CTV News, "I'm not really in favor of it. I think we're doing well enough this way."

Others, like Herb Urano, think it's a great idea.

"I think you'll get more people recycling because they're coming right to your door, just like the postman bringing your mail."

The Blue Cart Recycling Program will be fully operational by July of 2009.

For more information about the Blue Cart Recycling Program, you can visit the City of Calgary's website or call 3-1-1.